Renowned shooting coach Sunny Thomas passes away at 85
KOTTAYAM: Prof. Sunny Thomas, the celebrated shooting coach who transitioned from teaching English to shaping India's Olympic shooting legacy, passed away early on Wednesday following a heart attack. He was 85.
A native of Uzhavoor in Kottayam district, Prof Thomas was best known as the mentor of Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist. He served as the chief coach of the Indian national shooting team from 1993 to 2012, leading the country through one of its most successful phases in the sport.
Under his guidance, India secured multiple Olympic medals, including Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, India's first individual silver medal, and Bindra's historic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2012 London Olympics, India added to its tally with Vijay Kumar clinching silver and Gagan Narang winning bronze, both trained under Thomas.
His influence extended well beyond the Olympics. During his tenure, Indian shooters bagged 29 medals at the Asian Games and a remarkable 95 medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Prof Thomas was a five-time Kerala state champion and a former national champion in the rifle open sight category. His passion for the sport began in 1965 when he joined the Kottayam Rifle Club. After retiring as an English professor, he dedicated himself fully to coaching, a shift that marked a turning point in Indian shooting.
In recognition of his immense contribution to Indian sport, he was awarded the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2001.
Born on 26 September 1941 to K K Thomas and Marykutty of the Meckatt family in Thidanad, Kottayam, he completed his higher education at CMS College, Kottayam. He taught at Sacred Heart College, Thevara, before joining St Stephen's College, Uzhavoor, where he later retired as an English professor.
He is survived by his wife, Prof K J Josamma, a former botany professor at the same college, and their children—Manoj Sunny, Sanil Sunny and Sonia Sunny.
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