Swaroop Unhalkar, 37, was diagnosed with polio at an early age. It came with irreversible paralysis in both the legs, laboured breathing and weakness in his back muscles. Born to a modest family in a remote part of Maharashtra, approximately 8 kilometres from the main city of Kolhapur, no one thought Unhalkar would ever even be able to live independently, let alone make it so big in the world out there.
However, with a calm and focused mind, the most important factor in rifle shooting, Unhalkar beat all obstacles and was ready to represent the country in this sport at the Paris Paralympics 2024. This is the second time Unhalkar will be participating in the Paralympics, one of the most significant international sporting events for disabled athletes.
The first time was at Tokyo 2020. He finished fourth in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle, standing SH1, and missed the medal by 0.3 points. “It still hurts a lot. I was on the top for the first 16 shots. But I got distracted and then slipped to the fourth position. But there is still a lot that I have learnt from that experience,” says Unhalkar.
The first time was at Tokyo 2020. He finished fourth in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle, standing SH1, and missed the medal by 0.3 points.
“He is now a contender for medals in the Paralympics. But he has always been a winner in life and a king by heart,” says Unhalkar’s cousin Shivanand Patne, 40, who reflects on his younger brother’s journey from having nothing to making it to the top.
Unhalkar’s father used to work in an oil shop, and his mother still runs a stall selling essentials like flowers, incense sticks, garlands, etc., in front of a Ganesh Temple in Kolhapur. He also lived in a time when information wasn’t readily available.
“I was initially playing games like shot put, javelin, discus, etc. But I felt like I didn’t have the physical structure to play these games. Somewhere in 2007, I learnt about para sports from the Kolhapur District Paralympic Association. Initially, I had no information about the associations’ locations or whom to contact. But I tried talking to some players from back then and that’s how I figured things out. I managed to do shooting and found what I wanted to do in life,” says Unhalkar.
Adding to the beginning phases of Unhalkar’s journey, Patne adds, “When he understood he could do well in shooting, he went to the Dudhali shooting range every day, which is almost nine kilometres from his house. He used to ask people to give him a lift, but many were hesitant because of the fear that he would fall off of the bike. Nevertheless, he found his way to the shooting range.”
Patne says that for an entire year, Unhalkar used to go to the range and sit where people told him the sport is for those who have good financial backing. But Unhalkar stayed on.
Initially, he practised with a borrowed weapon provided by his coaches. “During the start, the weapon given by the coach we shared among four people. We would schedule turns and use it. We had to change it every time as everyone’s fit would change according to their body and height. It was a bit of a struggle. But at that time, we were grateful and happy just for the fact that we had a weapon with which we could practise,” says Uhalkar.
Unhalkar played his first national in 2012 and secured fourth place. The first time he played internationally was the USA Rifle Shooting World Cup 2014, that tournament was self-funded through money borrowed from friends and relatives. Acknowledging his consistent achievements, Chandrakant Patil, the then guardian minister of Kolhapur, gave Unhalkar weapons for practice.
“The starting years were tough. Even after practising in difficult times, I was able to do well in tournaments, it really helped me become more confident,” says Unhalkar. From then on, it was an upward journey for him.
But what hurts is the fact that his father passed away without witnessing any of his achievements. “He was very attached to his dad. However, due to bad working conditions and untimely or skipped meals, his father developed kidney problems and passed away. It was a difficult time for Swaroop,” says Patne.
Through all these achievements, Patne says, Unhalkar still isn’t able to earn a decent living. Though sponsorships help take care of his expenses of training and shooting tournaments, the earning part is still a struggle. Unhalkar still managed to use his prize money to add to his parents’ half-built two-room house. He has also taken up typing gigs and worked in a photocopy shop to earn money. “The bottom line of his life is that he never stopped to take a break. He is tireless,” says Patne.
With this tirelessness and perseverance, Unhalkar will be one of the 160 participants in the shooting event at Paralympics 2024 between August 30 and September 5 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
To give his best at the tournament, Unhalkar is attending a week-long training camp at Bhopal with other shooters from India who will be participating. “The rest of the time, I have been doing personal training in Pune like always, which involves yoga sessions in the morning, practice in the afternoon, and gym in the evening,” says Unhalkar.
He says that while physical training has remained the same over the years, mental training is challenging and requires more of his focus. It is what helped him in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
“I was very calm during finals. It was the mental training that helped me, so much so that finals didn’t feel like finals, it felt like regular practice. I am trying to learn to keep my focus steady between two shots. That is the time when you get distracted, so staying calm and focused on the process of shooting between shots is the real game changer,” he says.
“But breathing also plays a significant role in one’s shooting performance. Though Swaroop has breathing difficulties, he is so hardworking, he beats it all,” says Kiran, Swaroop’s coach from Pune since 2016.
While the Paris Olympics are his main focus right now, Unhalkar’s eyes are also set on the Asian Games 2026, the Commonwealth Games, and the World Championship.
Swaroop Unhalkar, 37. (File photo) 
The first time was at Tokyo 2020. He finished fourth in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle, standing SH1, and missed the medal by 0.3 points.
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