Sunny Thomas

Sunny Thomas
Personal information
National team India
CitizenshipIndian
Born26 September 1941
Occupation(s)Pistol Shooter, Professor
Sport
Country India
SportRifle Shooting

Sunny Thomas is a former Indian national shooting champion in the rifle open sight event from Kerala, India. He was the coach of Indian shooting team for 19 years from 1993 to 2012.[1] India won 108 gold, 74 silver and 53 bronze medals from various tournaments including the World Championships, Olympics and the Asian Games during his stint.[2][3] He received the Dronacharya Award in 2001.[4]

On his 80th birthday, Abhinav Bindra expressed gratitude with the following words shared through a video message “I want to thank you for the guidance and support you provided me throughout my sporting career. As a patient and understanding mentor, you kept us going, through the tough times. Thank you for being a pillar of strength and nurturing me to unfurl my fullest potential"[5]

Background

He was a Professor of English language in St. Stephen's College, Uzhavoor, Kottayam district and became a full-time shooting coach after his retirement. He is married to Josamma Sunny, a Professor of Botany from the same college where he had worked.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Shooting coach sunny thomas resigns after 19 years at helm". Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Sunny Thomas confidence personified". sportstarlive.com. Retrieved 14 November 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ a b "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sports Tribune". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Dronacharya Award". Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  5. ^ Srinivasan, Kamesh (26 September 2021). "Shooting | Prof. Sunny Thomas turns 80". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 October 2021.


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