by Tejas 

Pune, August 2, 2024:Yesterday afternoon, the 29-year-old boy from Kambalwadi village in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, etched his name in the annals of history as he achieved the feat of becoming the only player for India to win an Olympic medal in the 50-metre rifle three-position event. Swapnil bagged a bronze medal in his list of achievements and became only the second individual from Maharashtra to win an individual Olympic medal after legendary Khashaba Jadhav won a bronze medal in the 1952 Olympics.

Swapnil’s victory on Thursday followed his successful qualification for the finals of the 50-metre rifle three-positions event on Wednesday. The event, which includes kneeling, prone, and standing positions, saw Swapnil outwit his competitors to clinch the bronze. He narrowly missed out on the silver by just 0.1 point.

The entire country celebrated Swapnil’s remarkable achievement. In Kambalwadi, his family and villagers expressed their joy by distributing sweets and setting off fireworks. Swapnil’s mother was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of happiness. Social media buzzed with congratulatory messages from fans across India.

After this, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with both the Deputy Chief Ministers, personally congratulated Swapnil over the phone. CM Shinde also announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for Swapnil’s outstanding performance.

Born in Pune but hailing from Kambalwadi village, Swapnil's journey to the Olympic podium has been remarkable. His father is a teacher, and his mother is the village sarpanch. Swapnil’s ascent began in 2015, when he won a silver medal at the national level. This victory catapulted him into the national spotlight. He went on to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in Kuwait.

After this, he secured a job as a ticket collector with the Central Railway. Ideolizing Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who shares the same journey as him, Swapnil continues to put in efforts that finally culminated in the Olympic Bronze Medal yesterday. 

After the Asian Games, Swapnil also won a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. After that, he continued his winning streak by securing gold in his event at the 61st National Championships in Thiruvananthapuram. He also secured an Olympic quota for India by finishing fourth at the 2022 World Championships in Cairo.

Swapnil’s impressive track record includes gold in the team event at the 2022 Asian Games, two silver medals in the individual and team events, and gold in the mixed team event at the 2023 World Cup in Baku. He also won bronze in the team event at the 2022 World Championships and gold in the team event at the 2021 World Cup in New Delhi.