Hunger for glory and more precisely Olympic glory in the form of a gold is what encapsulates the demeanour of Swapnil Kusale.
Humble and unassuming to the tee but a deep ambition lies beneath that soft and endearing exterior that the Olympic bronze medallist possesses.
Swapnil was not a household name in Maharashtra until he clinched the historic bronze medal in 50m Rifle 3 positions event in shooting.
Now, the whole of India is acquainted with this 29-year-old shooter from Pune, who is originally from Kambalwadi in Kolhapur district.
In an exclusive telephonic interview with the Free Press Journal, Swapnil bared his heart out stating his dream is incomplete.
“Every athlete competes at the Olympics for a medal. My dream is still not complete and that is to win the Olympic gold. I did everything in my capacity to win the medal. In terms of hard work, whatever was required of me to win the medal I have done. I want to aim for the gold now,’’ he added.
The category in which Swapnil won the bronze is a class which Indian shooters are hardly familiar with and for him to excel there made it even more special.
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The Challenges
“There are many challenges in this event. For instance, the weather is very different in different places. Sometimes, its too hot and sometimes too cold. The outfit that we wear for competition, that becomes very hard in cold conditions while its the opposite in hot weather as the dress becomes loose in that weather.”
Swapnil elaborated on the complexities of assessing the conditions at a shooting range and planning for competition accordingly.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) had organised a camp for shooters preparing for the Olympics last year in France and Swapnil was one of the beneficiaries.
“It has helped me a lot. We are always in search of knowledge because where we have to perform there we have to gain awareness about the conditions. Be it with regard to the weather or the conditions at the range and how it looks, what is the level of the target and the height. What are the changes that are required in our shooting rifles and settings. Basically we scan the whole area and that is something I learnt immensely at the camp.”
Vinesh Phogat Issue
Swapnil also delved into the ongoing Vinesh Phogat saga where she has appealed for a joint silver to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“As an athlete, I can understand her emotions and feelings. This is something which is relatable for all sportspersons competing at the highest level. That is all I can say,’’ he said.
Swapnil, who has been employed with Central Railways since 2015 and recently got promoted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), reminisced about his early days.
“Yes, I was employed with them but because of my shooting I used to get 330 days of leave in a year and there was no need for me to report for work. I have been performing quite well and have been representing India for many years now so I’ve not had to do a job as such.
But when I used to go for my initial days of training in the Railways, those days were memorable as we had a good environment for sports there. We used to live together with students from other sporting disciplines and study together as well,’’ he revealed.
When asked if he is inspired by any shooter or athlete, Swapnil was of the opinion he only looks upto himself although he appreciates abilities in others as well.
“The kind of shooting that I have done and the way I have analysed my process, I feel I am my own inspiration. I look to learn from other shooters and they have their strengths and weaknesses also. If there are good things to learn, I pick it up and incorporate that in my game.”
The Pune man’s idea of unwinding is to go on drives with friends and take in the sights and sounds of nature or spend some quality with family and doing chores at home.
In short, Swapnil Kusale is just a regular guy who won an Olympic medal for India.
Though, he wants more. Yeh Dil Maange Gold!
To be precise.
