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]

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

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

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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

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  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.