Swapnil Kusare is one of the leading Indian contenders to be named in the final list of shooters heading to Paris next month. Born into a modest family in Maharashtra, Kusare enrolled under the Maharashtra government’s Krida Prabodhini Scheme. This was the beginning of his sporting journey. After training in Nashik for six years, he came to Pune to train under his current coach Deepali Deshpande. Since then, he has been a regular in the Indian national shooting team.
The 29-year-old shooter won the gold medal in the 50m three positions rifle team event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, setting a new world record with 1,769 points.
Currently competing in the Munich round of the ISSF World Cup in Germany, Kusare performed well in the NRAI qualifiers for the Paris Olympics held in Delhi and Bhopal in April. In the men’s 50m 3-position rifle event, before the final list was announced, Kusare was second behind Aishwari Pratap Tomar with an average total score of 589.73. “My mindset was the same in both the trials, Delhi and Bhopal, but the conditions were very tough,” he said in an exclusive interview with RevSportz. “The weather in Delhi was mild but in Bhopal it was very hot. It is difficult to wear the gear and shoot in that heat.
“It was really difficult to put on the gear and perform in those humid conditions, but it was a good test of our resilience. I’m happy we did well in the trials.”
With back-to-back competitions scheduled and a month to go until Paris, it’s important that the shooters are at their best in all aspects. “Technically I was OK, but I need to work more on my health and fitness,” said Cousare. “I need to plan my rest schedule better because it’s important to recover properly before big competitions.”
In three-position rifle competition, each of the three positions — kneeling, prone and standing — has its own characteristics and requires different skills. Each shooter has their own strengths and weaknesses and plans how they will compete accordingly. So how does Kusare manage all three positions? “Well, each of the three positions has its strengths and I like all three,” he says. “I try to be confident in all three, but there are some days when my body is more suited to a particular position.
A look back at my interactions with the men’s 50m 3P rifle team (Akhil Sheoran, Aishwary Pratap Tomar and Swapnil Kusale) who won gold in world record time at Hangzhou AG22.
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50m Rifle 3 Positions champions Aishwary Tomar, Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran share their thoughts on winning gold in an exclusive interview with @TheRohan22.Follow Official NRAI #AsianGames2022 #IndiaAtAsianGames pic.twitter.com/XJvrfzh1jj
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) September 29, 2023
“I would say that kneeling and prone positions are my forte, but there are days when I have issues with standing, mainly posture issues. I have learned how to deal with that.”
Results of the recently concluded trials in Bhopal show that in trial 3, Kusare scored 194 in standing, 195 in kneeling and 198 in prone. In trial 4, he scored 185 in standing and 194 each in kneeling and prone positions.
After the trials he had a few days to rest before flying to Munich. But overall, what does a typical day in his life look like when he’s not playing in a tournament? “I live a very simple life,” he says. “Simplicity is the key. I wake up early in the morning, go to the mandir (temple) and offer prayers, come back, have breakfast with my family, train and watch the series.”
Could he explain a bit about his spiritual life and how it relates to sports? “I believe in God, that’s a different thing, but if you look at shooting as a sport, it requires a lot of focus and calm,” Kusare said. “Whenever I go to the mandir, I feel calm and at peace. It helps me focus and stay mentally healthy.”
Everyone has their own way of finding peace of mind. Some people like to go for long walks. Akhil Sheoran I mentioned this in a previous interview. Arjun Singh Cheema Kusare said he plays cricket and football. His spirituality keeps him calm. “When I enter the temple, I feel like everything is fine,” he said.
With a month and a half to go until the Paris Games, the Indian shooting team has a shot at making it onto the podium and potentially ending their medal-less streak since the London Games in 2012. “It is impossible to predict what will happen in Paris, but we certainly have a medal hope this time around,” Kusare said. “This is all down to the hard work of our athletes and our coaches and trainers who are working tirelessly to prepare them for the elite stage.”
Kusare also defended the elite shooters turned coaches. “Of course! They shoot with us and they were players a few years ago so they really understand the player mentality,” he said. “The bond between player and coach is really good and that helps a lot.”
