Swapnil Kusale is the first Indian shooter to win a medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Olympics. He collected a bronze in the men’s event at the Paris 2024 Olympics shooting competition.
This was India’s third medal in rifle shooting after Abhinav Bindra’s gold in the men’s 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008 and Gagan Narang’s bronze in the same event at London 2012.
Swapnil Kusale Biography
| Name | KUSALE Swapnil |
| Date of Birth: | 6 Aug 1995 |
| Age: | 28 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Function: | Athlete – Shooting |
| Place of residence : | PUNE |
| Residence Country: | India |
Swapnil Kusale was born on August 6, 1995, in Pune. He came from a family with an agricultural background. In 2009, his father Suresh, a village school teacher, enrolled him on the Maharashtra government’s primary programme dedicated to sports called Krida Prabodhini. After one year of hardcore physical training, he had to choose one sport and he chose shooting.
Swapnil won the gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 event in the junior category at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. He also won the 59th National Shooting Championship held in Tughlakabad ahead of Olympic medal winners Gagan Narang and Chain Singh in the 50m rifle-prone event. Competing against his hero Gagan Narang is one of Swapnil’s most memorable moments in his shooting career.
Kusale is a Railway Ticket Collector. He has been working for Central Railways since 2015. He was inspired by MS Dhoni, a Railway Ticket Collector before starting his legendary cricket career for India. Swapnil Kusale has watched M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Dhoni’s biopic several times.
Kusale’s Awards and Achievements
Here is the journey of Swapnil Kusale from winning the Asian Shooting Championship in the junior category to becoming the first Indian shooter to win a bronze in the 50-meter rifle 3P event.
| Event | Year | Location | Medal | Category |
| Paris Olympics | 2024 | National Shooting Centre, Châteauroux | Bronze | 50 m rifle 3 positions |
| World Championships | 2022 | Cairo | Bronze | 50 m rifle 3 positions team |
| World Cup | 2021 | New Delhi | Gold | 50 m rifle 3 positions team |
| Asian Games | 2022 | Hangzhou | Gold | 50 m rifle 3 positions team |
| Asian Shooting Championships | 2023 | Changwon | Silver | 50 m rifle 3 positions team |
| Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships | 2024 | Jakarta | Gold | 50 m rifle 3 positions team |
| Commonwealth Championships | 2017 | Brisbane | Bronze | 50 m rifle prone |
Swapnil Kusale Social Media Profiles
| click here | |
| click here | |
| click here | |
| Wikipedia | Swapnil Kusale |
