The parents of Olympic shooting bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale said on Thursday that they are sure he will win a medal for the “tricolor and the country”. “We let him concentrate on his work and didn’t even call him yesterday so that he wouldn’t get distracted,” Swapnil’s father Suresh Kusale told reporters in Kolhapur soon after his son won bronze for India in Paris . “For the last 10 to 12 years, he has mainly been away from home, focusing on his marksmanship. I was sure he would win a medal for India and would not disappoint the tricolor. “People have been calling us incessantly to congratulate us,” said Suresh, a teacher. As Swapnil achieved glory in the 3-position 50m rifle event, taking India’s tally to three at the Paris Games on Thursday, his family and friends erupted with joy at his home in Kolhapur district.
His mother, Anita, who had been praying moments before, began to cry. Other family members and neighbors who watched the event live rejoiced, filling the air with “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
Suresh said they could not express in words the efforts they made for their son in the last few years. “But it was his hard work and determination that paid off today,” said the ecstatic father, who apparently spent around Rs 25 lakh on Swapnil’s training.
While expressing immense pride in Swapnil for bringing fame to his village, Suresh also thanked his coach Dipali Deshpande, saying that she took great care of him.
Swapnil’s mother said the family was born in Kambalwadi village in Radhanagari Tehsil in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra.
“He studied in a government school and developed a taste for shooting while in Sangli,” she said. He later went to Nashik to continue training in the sport, added Anita, who is also the sarpanch of his village.
Swapnil’s brother expressed his gratitude to all his countrymen for supporting and believing in the 28-year-old shooter.
The medal for Swapnil comes after the impressive performance of Manu Bhaker, who won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol alongside Sarabjot Singh.
Swapnil, who finished seventh in a hard-fought qualifier on Wednesday, has been working as a travel ticket examiner (TTE) in the Pune division of the Central Railway since 2015 and is a big fan of cricket icon MS Dhoni.
“I don’t follow anyone specific in the shooting world. Other than that, I admire Dhoni for the person he is. My sport requires me to be as calm and patient as he is on the field. just as I am a ticket collector like him,” Kusale told PTI on Wednesday.
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