Former national shooting coach Sunny Thomas dies at 84
Former national shooting coach and Dronacharya awardee Sunny Thomas passed away at his residence in Uzhavoor on Wednesday following a brief illness, family sources said. He was 84.
Thomas, who played a crucial role in elevating Indian shooting on the global stage, served as the coach of the national shooting team for 19 years, from 1993 to 2012.
A college professor by profession, Thomas was a five-time state shooting champion and a national champion in 1976. During his tenure as coach, the Indian shooting team won numerous medals in international events, including the Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.
He also coached many Olympic medalists from India. In recognition of his contributions, he was honoured with the Dronacharya Award in 2001. Thomas is survived by his wife and two children.
People from various walks of life, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, have condoled the demise of Thomas. With his passing, the Indian shooting community has lost a coach who gave it direction, the CM said in his condolence message.
"India performed best in shooting at the Olympics and World Championships when Sunny Thomas was the head coach," he recalled. Although the country did not have a significant legacy in shooting, Thomas became a world-renowned coach through his sheer dedication and willpower, he added.
Olympian Abhinav Bindra expressed deep sorrow over Thomas's demise. "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," he wrote on 'X'.
"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. Rest in peace, sir. Your impact is everlasting," he added.
First Published: 30 Apr 2025, 11:02 PM IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
34 minutes ago
- Hans India
Varsha Tekam banned for 3 years for evading dope test
New Delhi: Indian long-distance runner Varsha Tekam was on Thursday handed a three-year suspension for evading a dope test by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Varsha, who had finished second in the Pune Half Marathon last year with a time of 1:26.22, was provisionally suspended on May 26. According to the AIU, Varsha was suspended for 'evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection by an athlete' under Article 2.3. 'The AIU has banned Varsha Tekam (India) for 3 years from 20 May 2025 for Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection by an Athlete. DQ results from 15 December 2024,' the AIU posted on X. The AIU said Varsha returned a signed 'Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences Form,' confirming that she admitted to the anti-doping rule violation and accepted the asserted period of ineligibility on Tuesday. Due to her admission and acceptance of the sanction, Varsha was granted a one-year reduction in the asserted period of suspension under Rule 10.8.1 ADR.
Hans India
37 minutes ago
- Hans India
FIDE will discuss Carlsen incident soon: Anand
Stavanger (Norway):World no.1 Magnus Carlsen's fiery reaction after losing to D Gukesh in Norway Chess here was probably because he saw his authority in the game being challenged by someone so young, feels five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who also indicated that FIDE could discuss the incident 'very soon'. Frustrated by the loss to Gukesh in Round 6 of Norway Chess, Carlsen slammed his fist on the table sending the pieces flying all over before shouting 'Oh my God' and leaving the playing arena in a hurry, as millions of followers across the world watched the spectacle – some bewildered, some bemused. Anand, who is known for his calm demeanour and gentlemanly style, said the 34-year-Norwegian desperately wanted to win against the Indian world champion and 'draw some line in the sand'. 'But it (beating Gukesh) mattered a lot to him. Even if all the other games he's kind of going through emotions (here)… But in this game (against Gukesh), I think something he wanted to establish. He wanted to draw some line in the sand and tell all these kids 'hang on a few years', whatever. But this meant a lot. I think a 2-0 (win against Gukesh) here, he would have been very, very happy,' Anand told PTI on the sidelines of Norway Chess on Wednesday. The fact that he lost from a winning position perhaps exacerbated the frustration, opined Anand, who is international chess federation's (FIDE) deputy president and is here for broadcasting commitments as well. 'Against any opponent on earth, he would have hated losing such a good position. I mean to miss that the knight comes back. I felt exactly the same way when I blew my game against Magnus three years ago in 2022 in Norway,' added Anand.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Despite leading at Norway Chess 2025, Carlsen yet to move on from Gukesh defeat: 'Not very inspired'
Instead of discussing his victory over Fabiano Caruana in the latest round of the 2025 Norway Chess on Thursday, world No 1 and defending champion Magnus Carlsen once again brought up his defeat at the hands of reigning world champion D Gukesh, making it clear he was yet to move on from the setback. read more Magnus Carlsen had suffered the first defeat of his career at the hands of D Gukesh in Round 6 of the 2025 Norway Chess in Stavanger, Norway. Image credit: Michal Walusza/Norway Chess Magnus Carlsen returned to the top of the Norway Chess standings after defeating Fabiano Caruana in the Round 9 of the elite tournament on Thursday. However, instead of discussing his victory over the American Grandmaster, the 34-year-old Norwegian chose to bring up his sixth-round defeat at the hands of reigning world champion D Gukesh , making it clear that he is yet to move on from the setback. Also Read | Gukesh 'shocked' to hear Carlsen thinking about quitting Classical chess STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlsen had defeated Gukesh in 55 moves in the opening round of the 2025 Norway Chess, which was the first Classical meeting between the two since the latter was crowned world champion. Gukesh, however managed to force a resignation from Carlsen in their rematch on Sunday despite the latter finding himself in a dominant position at one point, resulting in a victory for the Indian in 62 moves . 'Honestly, it could have meant a lot to me if I had finished off the game against Gukesh and then played a really good tournament. Now like regardless of what happens it would kind of be like a bit of stumbling into a win,' Carlsen told Chess24 after his victory over world No 5 Caruana on Thursday. 'Like there is a very good chance that I don't win the tournament, but it honestly wouldn't make that big of a difference to me. The dream of playing a really good tournament burst with that game (against Gukesh). Of course I want to win, but it's not that important,' the five-time world champion added. Carlsen on losing to Gukesh: "The dream of playing a really good tournament burst with that game... I wanted a score that reflects the fact I think I'm still significantly better at chess & since I couldn't achieve that, a potential win of the tournament would not mean as much" — chess24 (@chess24com) June 5, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tournament was a little bit over after Gukesh defeat In a separate interview with Take Take Take, Carlsen made it clear that the loss against the 19-year-old Indian GM had affected him mentally by claiming that the tournament was 'a little bit over' for him after the stunning loss. 'My tournament was a little bit over after the loss against Gukesh. It was nice to win, but not very inspired,' Carlsen said after defeating Caruana in 52 moves while playing as white. Carlsen currently leads the standings with 15 points and is followed by Gukesh, who moved to the second spot with 14.5 points ahead defeating Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi. Carlsen will be up against world No 4 Arjun Erigaisi, the other Indian in the 'Open' section, in the final round on Friday while Gukesh squares off against Caruana, with the title on the line.
