CHENNAI: Kolhapur, a district in Western Maharashtra, is known for its spicy food, a one-of-a-kind temple of Goddess Mahalaxmi and Kusti (wrestling). Such is the hold of wrestling in the city and people that Kolhapur is the home of Khasbag Maidan, one of the biggest wrestling stadia in India. Even though there is not a single wrestler from the district or state in the Paris 2024 squad for India, Swapnil Kusale, a shooter from Kambalwadi Walve village of the district, is hoping to make his mark in the Olympics in the Men's 50m rifle event.
"My father is a school teacher and I think my sports background comes from there," Kusale told this daily. "When I was in school, he enrolled me in Krida Prabodhini — a scheme by the Government of Maharashtra to help the growth of athletes. In the beginning, I was in Sangli (adjoining district of Kolhapur) for a year to get my physical fitness. When the Youth Games were going on and we were able to watch it on TV, I learned about the shooting. My interest grew eventually and then I decided to take it up. I was in 9th standard when I shifted to Nashik Krida Prabodhini to focus on shooting. We had our setup at Bhonsala Military School and it all started from there," he added.
While his family has constantly supported him, sometimes even taking a loan to help the young athlete fulfill his dreams, Kusale is equally grateful for the role his coach, Deepali Deshpande played. "I cannot thank my family enough for supporting me. They had faith in me that even though shooting was something new for all of us, my father felt that I had to do this. At one point, I did not have my own rifle, so he took a loan to get one for me. I think she (Deshpande) has had the biggest impact on me. She is like another mother to me because of the way she has guided me, not just with the coaching but in life as well. I don’t think I can ever explain how important her role is in making me the person I am today," Kusale got emotional.
All of his hard work paid off in the Asian Games when, despite missing out on an individual glory, the 29-year-old helped India win a gold medal in the team event. Along with the medal, Kusale learned one valuable lesson at Hangzhou: Focus on what is coming next and keep the emotions at bay. "I had a great experience at the Asian Games and I learned that one bad game is not going to decide my career. Winning and losing is a part of the game. I had to leave the disappointment back immediately to focus on training for bigger achievements. When I came back from the Asian Games, I went into training thinking I had to start from basics once again.
Whenever you are part of the game, you have to keep all emotions aside and purely focus on the performance. Getting emotions involved in the game does not help really at the highest level. I know performing at the highest level, there are certain emotions, from fear to excitement, but one has to survive it all. And I know I will have to forget about everything that has happened in the past when I am to compete in Paris," Kusale answered.
When asked who he is excited to see in the Olympics, Kusale chuckled before saying, "Myself." The son of a school teacher did not start his journey thinking one day he would represent his country at the highest level, but now it's his singular focus. "I did not start shooting thinking I wanted to go for the Olympics, but when I started practicing I figured out that it is the highest level in our sport. Winning a medal at the Olympics is a dream for most of the athletes and because it is the pinnacle, it became my dream," he added.
While he is nervous about his appearance at the highest level, Kusale's meteoric rise through the ranks has kept him optimistic. "I want to see how I perform at these levels. I have envisioned myself to do better at these levels, and I hope the Olympics bring out the best in me," he signed off.