Father of Paris Olympics Medallist Swapnil Kusale Calls for Higher Reward from Maharashtra Government

A significant dispute has emerged following the victory of Swapnil Kusale, the 29-year-old shooter from Kolhapur, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 50m rifle 3 positions event. Despite the accolade bringing honor to the nation, his father, Suresh Kusale, has voiced dissatisfaction with the reward offered by the Maharashtra government, which stands at Rs 2 crore.

According to Suresh Kusale, the sum provided by Maharashtra pales in comparison to the more generous rewards offered by other Indian states, particularly Haryana. He highlighted that Haryana has set a precedent by awarding up to Rs 6 crore for gold medalists, Rs 4 crore for silver, and Rs 2.5 crore for bronze winners at the Olympics. Kusale emphasized that Maharashtra’s reward system undermines the efforts of athletes, especially considering that Swapnil is only the second individual from Maharashtra to win an Olympic medal after K.D. Jadhav, who secured a bronze in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.