Kottayam: Shooting coach and Dronacharya awardee Prof. Sunny Thomas is no more. He was 85 years old. He passed away this morning in Uluvur, Kottayam due to a heart attack. He was the head coach of the Indian shooting team for 19 years. A former national shooting champion, Sunny Thomas has coached India to over a hundred international medals. Under the guidance of Sunny Thomas, Indian shooters have won 108 gold, 74 silver and 53 bronze medals at the international level.
Sunny Thomas was the coach of Olympic medalist Abhinav Bindra. An English professor at St. Stephen's College, Uluvur in Kottayam district, he was the coach of the Indian shooting team for 19 years from 1993 to 2012. He was a former Indian national shooting champion from Kerala in the rifle open sight category.
Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has said in his condolence letter that Professor Sunny Thomas laid the foundation for the growth of Indian shooting. He was not just a coach, but also a mentor. He was a decisive influence on my career, said Abhinav Bindra. Olympic medalist Gagan Narang told Asianet News that Professor Sunny Thomas is the compass of Indian shooting. He was a mentor in the growth of many, including me. He was active until the last moment and it is a big loss for the Indian sports sector, Gagan Narang said.