India Bags Third Medal In Paris Olympics. Swapnil Kusale Wins Bronze in Shooting

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Paris
• Aug 01, 2024
• 270

Playing his first Olympics, India's Swapnil Kusale won the bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle three positions at the Paris Olympics. 

Swapnil, who was seventh in the qualification, scored 451.4 to finish third. This is India's third bronze at these games. Earlier, Manu Bhaker had won bronze in the women's 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team category with Sarabjot Singh. 

For the first time in India's Olympic history, shooters have won three medals in the same games. China's Liu Yukun (463.6) won the gold and Ukraine's Serhiy Kulish (461.3) won the silver. 

The last time an Indian shooter reached the final in 50m rifle was at the London Olympics when Joydeep Karmakar finished fourth in the 50m rifle prone. This event is no longer in the Olympics. 

Like his cricketer idol Mahendra Singh Dhoni, TC Kusale of Railways was fourth after the first standing series. His first shot in kneeling was 9.6, but he made a brilliant comeback. After this, he reached second place by scoring 10.6 and 10.3, but the next two shots were 9.1 and 10.1, which brought him to fourth place. Then he reached third place by scoring 10.3 and remained there till the end. He was in sixth place after the kneeling position, but came to fifth place after prone.

Kusale, who has been playing internationally for the last 12 years, had to wait for 12 years for his Olympic debut. Kusale, who is as 'cool' as Dhoni, has watched the film made on the World Cup winning cricket captain several times. After qualification, he had said, 'I do not take guidance from any particular player in shooting, but Dhoni is my favourite in other sports. My game also requires calmness and he too was always calm on the field. He was also a TC once and so am I.'

Kusale has been working in Central Railway since 2015. His father and brother are teachers in a district school and his mother is the village sarpanch. On his performance, he said, 'The experience so far has been very good. I like shooting and I am happy that I have been able to do it for such a long time. Seeing Manu Bhaker has given me confidence. If she can win, then we can also win.