The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, has led the Indian Shooting community in mourning the passing away of legendary Shooting coach Prof. Sunny Thomas, earlier on Wednesday at Uzhavoor in the Kottayam district of Kerala.
He was 83. Prof. Sunny Thomas, a Dronacharya awardee, was the coach of the Indian Shooting team for 19 years from 1993-2012, mentoring many a champion shooter, including Abhinav Bindra, who became the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, during his tenure.
“This is a void which Indian Shooting will find very difficult to fill,” said Singh Deo. “Professor Thomas was an institution in Shooting and India would not have become the Shooting power that it is today, without his selfless contribution to our sport. The entire Shooting community is in grief and on behalf of everyone at the NRAI, I send my heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” he added.
Abhinav Bindra was amongst the first to condole the death of Prof. Thomas, when he wrote on the social media platform X, saying, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Prof. Sunny Thomas. He was more than a coach, he was a mentor, guide, and father figure to generations of Indian shooters. His belief in our potential and his relentless dedication to the sport laid the foundation for India’s rise in International Shooting. He played a big role in my early years, and I’ll always be grateful for his support and guidance.”