City
Epaper

From a TTE in Railways to Olympic medallist: The inspiring journey of Swapnil Kusale

By IANS | Updated: August 1, 2024 15:50 IST

Chateauroux, Aug 1 India's marksman Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions ...

Open in App

Chateauroux, Aug 1 India's marksman Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Swapnil qualified for the final round after finishing 7th with a total score of 590.

Born in 1995, Swapnil Kusale hails from a humble agricultural background and is a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Pune Railway Division.

His journey into the world of sports began in 2009 when his father enrolled him in Maharashtra government's Krida Prabodhini, a primary sports program aimed at nurturing young talent. After a year of rigorous physical training, Kusale chose shooting as his sport of focus. His decision proved fortuitous, as he quickly ascended through the ranks, becoming a sponsored athlete under the Lakshya Sports banner in 2013.

Kusale's early promise was evident when he clinched a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 position junior category at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. This victory was followed by an impressive performance at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, where he outperformed seasoned shooters like Gagan Narang and Chain Singh to win gold in the 50m rifle prone event.

He replicated this success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, securing another gold in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.

Kusale continued to build on his achievements, earning an Olympic quota for India with a fourth-place finish at the 2022 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Cairo. During the same competition, he contributed to a team bronze medal, underscoring his versatility and team spirit.

At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Kusale, alongside teammates Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran, won the team gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event.

Despite narrowly missing out on an individual medal, finishing fourth, Kusale's performance further cemented his status as one of India's top shooters.

In addition to his team successes, Kusale has also earned individual accolades, including a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championships and a gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team event at the 2024 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships.

Achievements:

World Championship, Cairo (2022)- Finished 4th winning Olympics2024 quota place for the Country.

Asian Games 2022 - Gold in Team event.

World Cup, Baku (2023) - Gold medal in the mixed team event and two silver medals in individual & team events

World Championship, Cairo (2022) - Bronze medal in team event.

World Cup, New Delhi (2021) - Gold medal in team event

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in App

Related Stories

TechnologyQuality Control Orders expanded from 14 to 156 in a decade: Minister

InternationalPower supply from Nepal to Bangladesh through Indian grid is a milestone, says Nepali Envoy in Dhaka

BusinessQuality Control Orders expanded from 14 to 156 in a decade: Minister

InternationalDistance is no barrier to cultural connections: PM Modi on getting grand welcome from Indian diaspora in Argentina

Entertainment'Sinners' makers purchased costumes from Marvel originally made for 'Blade' reboot

Other Sports Realted Stories

Other SportsWe did well in patches but lots of learning for us: Harmanpreet after loss in 3rd T20I

Other SportsKerala shines bright as hosts and champions at the 2025 PAFI National ArmWrestling Championship in Thrissur

Other SportsD Gukesh leads with 14 points in Grand Chess Tour after five consecutive victories

Other SportsGrand Chess Tour: Gukesh dominates Wesley So in Croatia rapid, takes big lead into blitz

Other Sports2nd Test: India’s lead goes past 200 after Siraj picks 6-70 despite Smith-Brook fightback