"Feels Like Destiny": Gagan Narang Recalls Playing Against Olympics Medal Winner Swapnil Kusale

Former Indian shooter and Olympic medalist and country's chef-de-mission for Paris Olympics 2024 Gagan Narang lauded the Indian shooting contingent for their fantastic performances at the ongoing marquee competition and also recalled competing with bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale in 2017. The Indian shooting contingent at the ongoing Paris Olympics has surpassed expectations, with three Bronze medals in the kitty so far. Though Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on adding a third medal to her kitty as she finished fourth in the 25m pistol shooting on Saturday, she will return home as the only Indian to have ever won two medals at the same Olympic Games.

Manu secured a medal in the women's 10 m air pistol event, and then followed it up with another Bronze win along with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed-team event. Both of these medals were historic. While Manu's solo medal was India's first-ever shooting medal by a woman, the medal won along with Sarabjot was India's first-ever medal in team shooting.

Swapnil's stunning bronze medal-winning performance in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event also gave Indian sporting fans something to celebrate.

Gagan said as per a press release, "It has been an emotional first week in Paris, with shooting giving us a head start in the medal tally. I am overwhelmed with happiness to see Manu, Sarabjot and Swapnil win medals at the same time."

"I remember competing alongside Swapnil in 2017 at the Commonwealth Championship in Gold Coast, where he claimed the bronze medal after giving me a tough fight for the silver. It is truly emotional to see him reaching this level and achieving his dream of winning an Olympic medal for India, and that too, on the same day when I had won mine in 2012 in London. It almost feels like destiny," he added.

Narang also expressed his happiness for Arjun Babuta, who missed out on a medal narrowly in the men's 10m air rifle event.

"I am so proud of Arjun Babuta as well, who finished fourth in the tough 10m Air Rifle event. This is perhaps the greatest show by Indian shooters in the history of the Games," Gagan further said.

Following Swapnil Kusale's historic bronze medal win in the ongoing Paris Olympics, the Indian shooting contingent officially delivered its best-ever performance in Olympics history.

Before this, India's best performance in shooting came at the 2012 London Olympics, with Vijay Kumar getting a silver in the men's 25 m rapid-fire pistol event and Gagan Narang getting a bronze in the men's 10 m air rifle event.

India's first-ever shooting medal was earned by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in the men's double trap shooting when he secured a silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics. It was followed by Abhinav Bindra's historic gold medal in men's 10 m air rifle at the Beijing Olympics, which was also the country's first-ever individual gold medal in any sport.

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