Swapnil Kusale, who clinched a bronze medal in the 50m Air Rifle event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was recently awarded a cash prize of Rs 2 crores by the Maharashtra state government. The award came after some delays and controversies surrounding the recognition of his achievement. His coach, Deepali Deshpande, was also honored with a cash award of Rs 20 lakhs. Deepali expressed her relief that with the recognition and financial reward, Swapnil can now redirect his attention back to his training for shooting, which is scheduled to recommence on October 16 in Pune.
Deepali emphasized the necessity of concentrating on the technical elements of shooting and adequately preparing for the forthcoming training cycle, which will kick off with the Nationals. She highlighted that this focus is crucial for Swapnil to maintain and enhance his performance in future competitions.