Ticket collector like MS Dhoni, son of female sarpanch makes rare Olympic final

Swapnil Kusale, the first Indian shooter to reach the 50m rifle three positions final at the Olympics, draws inspiration from former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni.

Kusale, like Dhoni in the early stages of his career, works as a railway ticket collector. His journey to the Paris Games marks his debut at the Olympics after consistent international competition since 2012.

The 29-year-old athlete from Kambalwadi village near Kolhapur in Maharashtra has long admired Dhoni's calm and patient personality, attributes crucial for success in shooting. Kusale frequently watches Dhoni's biopic, hoping to emulate similar success in his own sport.

A top-three finish in the 50m rifle three positions final on Thursday would certainly elevate Kusale to the list of high achievers in Indian sports.

"I don't follow anyone specific in the shooting world. Outside of that, I admire Dhoni for the person that he is. My sport requires me to be as calm and patient as he is on the field. I also relate to his story as I am a ticket collector like he was," Kusale told PTI shortly after finishing seventh in a tightly contest qualification.

Since 2015, Kusale has been employed by Central Railways. During the qualification, two Czech shooters also scored 590 but Kusale advanced due to having the most inner 10s — 38, compared to Jiri Privratsky and Petr Nymbursky, who secured the eighth and final qualification spot.

His father and brother, both teachers, and his mother, the sarpanch of Kambalwadi village, also serve as inspirations for Kusale. Aishwary Pratap Tomar, a stronger contender, finished 11th with a total score of 589, while China's Liu Yukun topped the session.

Kusale remained unaware of his final classification until his coach informed him. He achieved scores of 197 in prone, 195 in standing, and the same in kneeling.

"Every shot is a new shot. I was just trying to be patient. The whole match I had the same mindset. Just shoot with patience. At the back of the mind, you are thinking about your scores but it is better if you don't," said Kusale.

The job is half done in his debut Games and Kusale is fully aware of that. Manu Bhaker's unprecedented two medals here has also provided an extra dose of motivation.

"It has been a great experience so far. I love shooting and I am glad that I have been able to do it for so long. Seeing Manu do well gives us a lot of confidence. If she can do it, we can do it too," said Kusale.

National coach Manoj Kumar Ohlyan was tracking Kusale's progress from a distance and he is bullish about his chances in the final.

"He is in a good frame of mind. We are hoping for the best. We just want him to perform the way he did today. He was patient. He is good technically and physically," added Ohlyan.


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