Eyeing top podium finish in 2028 LA Games: Kusale

New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Emboldened by his landmark bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale is now working on his goal to strike gold in the next edition of the Games in Los Angeles.

In Paris last summer, Kusale became the first shooter from the country to win an Olympic medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.

Kusale, who won gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 World Cups, is not content with the success so far and wants bigger medals.

"The big target is next Olympics but in between whatever events comes is important. My focus and vision is on LA and working towards that," Kusale told PTI during an interaction on the sidelines of the logo launch of inaugural Shooting League of India (SLI) here on Thursday.

"Obviously, need to think and dream big and like any other athlete I am also looking for the top spot.

"My current focus is on World Cup, then will concentrate on Asian Games selection trials," added Kusale, who is part of the Indian contingent for the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich from June 8 to 16.

"Next is Munich World Cup and we are leaving tonight, hope to give my best there." The bronze medal in Paris is yet to sink in for Kusale, but he has set his new goals and is working towards achieving them.

"The journey since Paris was quite good. I am right now working on some things which I had missed or erred in Paris. Life now is little different from what it used to before Paris, but I am loving it, enjoying it," he said.

"I have made some changes health wise, body, fitness and obviously in shooting." Talking about his journey post Paris Games, Kusale said: "After Olympics first event was National Championships and I won bronze medal there, after that was National Games where I again won bronze. After that it was all trials." "I didn't participate in last two World Cups because I needed some rest." Kusale said rifle shooting attracted him after he watched the sport at the 2008 Youth Commonwealth Games.

"I started shooting in 2009, may be at the age of 14 or 15. It was Youth Commonwealth Games in 2008 and I watched that on TV, and online, and saw rifle shooting there and felt something is different from rest of disciplines, and I started liking that," he said.

"I played so many games, I played volleyball for one and half years when I was in school. I also played a bit of hockey but professionally my interest was in shooting." The 29-year-old shooter from Maharashtra feels the upcoming SLI will be a game-changer for the sport in the country.

"It is a big platform for Indian shooters. Those who will come from abroad will attract our budding shooters, our performance will also get better. We will get to learn a lot," Kusale said.

"Youngsters will get to learn a lot from this league. They will get to know how a higher level athlete performs, how he prepares and handles situations." The inaugural SLI will be held from November 20 to December 2 between six to eight franchises, but the details are yet to be finalised. PTI SSC SSC AH AH