Indian Railway's Swapnil Kusale has made history by bagging a bronze medal in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This remarkable achievement marks India's first-ever Olympic medal in 50m Rifle 3 Positions event and the country's third medal in shooting at Paris Olympics Games.
Swapnil's journey to the podium was marked by a brilliant performance, scoring an aggregate of 451.4 points in the finals. Starting in sixth position, he demonstrated exceptional skill and composure to climb the ranks and secure the bronze medal. The 50m Rifle 3 Positions event consists of shooters shooting 20 shots each in kneeling, prone and standing series.
This achievement not only adds to India's medal tally but also establishes Swapnil as a significant figure in Indian shooting sports. His success comes after years of dedication and training, making him a role model for aspiring athletes in the country. Swapnil Kusale, hailing form Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district had joined Indian Railways as a Commercial cum Ticket Clerk in Pune Division of Central Railway in 2015. He has won gold medals in shooting in Asian Games at China in 2023, World Cup at Baku in 2022 and at New Delhi in 2021. Besides, he has also won silver and bronze medals in various Shooting Championships from 2015 to 2023.
Indian Railways has always encouraged sport persons and provided them a robust and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure with flexible working hours for practice. Indian Railway is immensely proud of Swapnil Kusale's achievement and congratulates him on this historic milestone. His dedication and hard work have brought great honour to the Indian Railways and the nation.