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India’s marksman Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kusale qualified for the final round after finishing 7th with a total score of 590.
Kusale clinched the bronze medal for India in the final after finishing with an aggregate of 451.4.
Indian President Murmu congratulated the athlete following the feat. “Heartiest congratulations to Swapnil Kusale for winning bronze medal at Paris Olympics! He has become the first Indian to win a medal in Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions category. It is for the first time that India has won three medals in shooting events in the same Olympic Games. The entire shooting contingent has done India proud. I extend my best wishes to all our players for the upcoming events. I wish Swapnil Kusale wins more laurels in the future,” the President said in a post on X
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded Kusale. “Exceptional performance by Swapnil Kusale! Congrats to him for winning the Bronze medal in the Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions at the #ParisOlympics2024. His performance is special because he’s shown great resilience and skills. He is also the first Indian athlete to win a medal in this category. Every Indian is filled with happiness,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Born in 1995, 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
