Who is Swapnil Kusale, the shooter with a rare MS Dhoni connection who won India a third bronze medal at Paris Olympics?

Swapnil Kusale has a very rare similarity with MS Dhoni. Swapnil Casual has emerged as the toast of the nation as the shooter clinched India’s third medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Swapnil on Thursday took a bronze in the men’s 50m 3 positions final, making in a shooting trifecta at the ongoing Games. Swapnil fired 451.4, and although he narrowly closed in the prospects of bettering the colour of his medal, Swapnil will return as an Olympic medal winner, that too in his maiden appearance at the Games. Swapnil, 28, comes from a very interesting background. Born into a farming family in Maharashtra, 29-year-old Kusale began his journey with sports at Krida Prabhodini, the Maharashtra government’s sports development program, in 2009. After a year of intensive physical training, he chose shooting as his preferred sport. Kusale won gold in the junior category for the 50m rifle prone event at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait in 2015. He also triumphed at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, outpacing renowned shooters Gagan Narang and Chain Singh in 50m rifle prone event. The sport shooter replicated this success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, winning gold in the 50m rifle 3 position event. On May 17, 2024, Kusale secured a spot on the Indian team for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 50m rifle 3 positions event, following the final Olympic trials held at the MP State Shooting Academy Ranges in Bhopal. This was the fourth and final trial, with the previous three taking place in Delhi and Bhopal. Earlier, on October 22, 2022, Swapnil secured an Olympic quota berth by finishing fourth in the men’s 50m rifle 3-position event at the World Championship in Cairo, Egypt. An Olympic quota berth is secured by the athlete for their country, but the final team selection is made by the sports federation through selection trials. From 2022, when he earned the quota, to 2024, when he secured his spot by finishing in the top two of the trials, the Pune-based shooter faced many ups and downs. His toughest challenge was dealing with a chronic tonsil issue that caused extreme pain, fever, and weakness. After consulting various doctors, the problem was identified in December 2023, lactose intolerance.