Indian Railway's employee Swapnil Kusale has made history by bagging a bronze medal in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This remarkable achievement marks India's first-ever Olympic medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event and the country's third medal in shooting at the Paris Olympics Games.
Swapnil's journey to the podium was marked by a brilliant performance, scoring an aggregate of 451.4 points in the finals. Starting in sixth position, he demonstrated exceptional skill and composure to climb the ranks and secure the bronze medal. The 50m Rifle 3 Positions event consists of shooters shooting 20 shots each in kneeling, prone and standing series.
This achievement not only adds to India's medal tally but also establishes Swapnil as a significant figure in Indian shooting sports. His success comes after years of dedication and training, making him a role model for aspiring athletes in the country.
Swapnil Kusale, hailing from Maharashtra's Kolhapur district joined Indian Railways as a Commercial cum Ticket Clerk in Pune Division of Central Railway in 2015. He won gold medals in shooting at the Asian Games in China in 2023, World Cup at Baku in 2022 and at New Delhi in 2021. Besides, he has also won silver and bronze medals in various Shooting Championships from 2015 to 2023.
Indian Railways has always encouraged sports persons and provided them with a robust and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure with flexible working hours for practice. Indian Railway is immensely proud of Swapnil Kusale's achievement and congratulates him on this historic milestone. His dedication and hard work have brought great honour to the Indian Railways and the nation.
Following India shooter Swapnil Kusale's historic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Central Railway GM Ramkaran Yadav said the 28-year-old player will be promoted to official grade and will be appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
"This is a big thing for our Central Railway that one of the employees has won a bronze medal in the 50m Rifle. We are proud of him...He will soon be promoted to official grade and will be appointed as an OSD..." Ramkaran Yadav told ANI.
(ANI)