Swapnil Kusale, fan of MS Dhoni and railway ticket examiner, takes aim with calmness and patience

Swapnil Kusale, bronze medal winner and the first Indian shooter to reach the 50m rifle 3 positions final at the Olympics, draws inspiration from cricket legend MS Dhoni — he is a railway ticket examiner, like his idol was early in his career; and like Mahi on the cricket field, he also focuses on being “calm and patient” at the shooting range.

The medal for Swapnil at the Paris Olympics 2024 comes following the stunning performance of Indian shooter Manu Bhaker, who clinched the women’s 10m air pistol bronze and mixed team 10m air pistol bronze alongside Sarabjot Singh.

Swapnil, a 29-year-old from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, has been competing in international events since 2012. He has made his Olympic debut at the Paris Games.

His parents told reporters today that they were sure he would win a medal for the “tricolour and the country”.

Father Suresh Kusale said, “We let him focus on his work and didn’t even call him yesterday so that he should not get distracted.”

He added, “For the past 10 to 12 years, [Swapnil] was mostly away from home, focusing on his marksmanship. I was sure he would win a medal for India and wouldn’t let the tricolour down. People have been calling up incessantly to congratulate us.”

Suresh and his other son are teachers in a district school, while Swapnil’s mother is the sarpanch of Kambalwadi village.

I admire Dhoni for the person that he is: Swapnil

A day before he joined the list of high-achiever Indian sportspersons, Swapnil told the Press Trust of India that he related to MS Dhoni’s life story.

The young shooter has watched the biopic of India’s World Cup winner captain multiple times and hopes to match the lofty achievements of the champion cricketer.

“I don’t follow anyone specific in the shooting world. Outside of that, I admire Dhoni for the person that he is. My sport requires me to be as calm and patient as he is on the field. I also relate to his story as I am a ticket collector like he was,” said Swapnil, a Central Railways employee since 2015, shortly after finishing seventh in a tightly contested qualification in Paris.

Following his podium finish in Paris, senior Indian politician Yashodhara Raje Scindia posted today on X: “Swapnil [Kusale] coming from behind to win a hard-fought Bronze medal is a story in patience, perseverance, and finally redemption over the last 10 years. Glorious day for Indian Shooting, which is the one discipline keeping the Indian flag flying.”

Swapnil did not know about his classification in the final until his coach told him about it. He shot 197 in prone, 195 in standing, and as much in kneeling.

“Every shot is a new shot. I was just trying to be patient. The whole match I had the same mindset: just shoot with patience. At the back of the mind, you are thinking about your scores but it is better if you don’t,” said Swapnil, in his pre-final interview.

He had drawn inspiration from Manu. “It has been a great experience so far. I love shooting and I am glad that I have been able to do it for so long. Seeing Manu do well gives us a lot of confidence. If she can do it, we can do it too,” said Swapnil yesterday.