
Cancer-stricken former India shooter Pournima Zanane has breathed her last aged 42 with country’s shooting fraternity, including Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra mourning the untimely death.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) licensed coach Zanane was suffering from cancer for the last two years while undergoing extensive treatment for it. As per ex India rifleman Joydeep Karmakar, Zanane almost recovered after receiving treatment for cancer.
Zanane had represented India at multiple ISSF World Cups, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Championships, among others, and was a renowned shooter in the fraternity. Zanane was a national record holder in 10m air rifle event and took to coaching later in her career. She was honoured with the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports award by the Maharashtra government.
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Zanane, who was diagnosed with cancer during the Nationals in Kerala a couple of years back and started her career in Mumbai before moving to Pune. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) sent out condolence message after Zanane succumbed to the disease.
"The National Rifle Association of India condoles the untimely sad demise of our international shooter and a coach - Ms Pournima Chinmoy Zanane, at a very young age.
"Ms Pournima Zanane was an Air Rifle shooter and took part in many international competitions as Pournima Gawahne. At a later stage, she started coaching shooters and also coached the Sri Lankan team," the sport's apex body in the country said in a statement.
"Deeply shocked and distressed by the news of untimely demise of an old friend Pournima Zanane. Our friendship goes back to Junior team days... But we will meet someday, somewhere again Smiling face with smiling eyes," Olympian Karmakar tweeted