Kusale shot a score of 451.4, to finish behind China’s Yukun Liu (gold) and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish (silver). He had ended seventh in the qualification round with a total score of 590…reports Asian Lite News
Shooter Swapnil Kusale added a third medal to India’s tally, winning a bronze medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions at the Paris Olympics here on Thursday. The 28-year-old said he kept his breath in control and did not glance at the leaderboard during his final.
Kusale also became the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal in the Men’s 50m 3 Position event. It was also the third shooting medal in the rifle event after Abhinav Bindra’s gold in the 10m air rifle in the Beijing Olympics 2008 and Gagan Narang’s bronze in the same event in the London Olympics 2012.
Kusale shot a score of 451.4, to finish behind China’s Yukun Liu (gold) and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish (silver). He had ended seventh in the qualification round with a total score of 590.
“I feel great. I was a little nervous and my heart is still racing. Ultimately, it’s a sport and I’m proud to have brought home a bronze for India,” Kusale said after clinching a medal for the country.
“I didn’t target anything and just focused solely on my breathing. I was not looking at the leaderboard and sticking to what I’d been practicing for many years. I was also neglecting the leaderboard announcement as I only wanted the Indian fans to make noise. It was making me feel good and I wanted to see them happy,” he added.
The man from Kolhapur felt short on words to express his feelings about holding the medal in his hands but remained committed to being grounded.
“I’m not sure if I’ll feel different when I will have the medal in my hands. I definitely feel something inside, but I’m just used to staying grounded,” he said.
Detailing his mindset in the final, Kusale said he kept things simple and didn’t focus on minimum points in any particular event.
“In my mind, I wasn’t targetting any particular points in each event and was focussing on procedures and kept on doing them. I didn’t see anything else and I’m proud of that,” he said.
About his routine before the final on Thursday, Kusale said he did not have anything to eat.
“There were butterflies in my stomach, so I just had black tea (before the final). I love drinking tea but I can’t have it so I drank black tea. Every time, before the match, I chant God’s name,” the Indian shooter added.
‘Swapnil Fulfilled Our Dream with Olympic Bronze’
Kusale was first spotted under Maharashtra government’s Krida Prabhodhini’s scheme and it was Shinde who first spotted his potential after looking at the shooter’s skills. The coach asserted that Kusale’s feat resulted from efforts that started more than two decades back. “Swapnil has fulfilled our long-awaited dream. Years back, under Krida Prabodhini, the government of Maharashtra did a project to scout young talents.
Today, after 28 years we got the result,” Shinde said on Thursday. “I got the opportunity to train him in Nashik on Saturdays and Sundays. Swapnil got selected for the Krida Prabodhini project in Nashik and I gave him basic training while the state govt provided him with a gun, ammunition and a shooting range. He had the guidance of a top mental trainer (psychologist) since the beginning of his career, so he has been mentally very strong,” Shinde told IANS. “When he grew up and started winning titles at the national level, I picked him in the Railways’ team as I was the coach of the department.
He got full freedom from Railways to excel in shooting and now has won an Olympic medal. Maharashtra government also spent a lot to give him a well-equipped range to train and all the hard work has been paid off today. I’m very happy for his achievement,” he added. The coach further talked about Kusale’s calm demeanour and his sheer dedication towards the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, which made the country proud at the highest stage. “Swapnil was a shy kid and always believed in doing more than speaking. He was very calm and focussed. I requested him to take part in the Air Rifle event for the Railways team, but he refused and stayed focussed on his (50m Rifle 3 Positions) event,” Shinde said. “I’ve seen him grow from close quarters, winning nationals to world championships.
But nothing comes close to winning an Olympic medal. I’ve been thankful to everyone who has supported him to achieve this feat including the state govt, central govt, NRAI, SAI and others. “I’m also thankful to his national coach Deepali Deshpande for her hard work along with her team. Swapnil is an example that anyone can achieve their goals if they stay determined and focussed in their preparations,” he added.
ALSO READ-Sindhu Falls Short in Paris
[soliloquy id="151345"]