India's chief national shooting coach for 17 years, Sunny Thomas, today said he will quit his post after the Asian Games owing to the dismal display in the ongoing event at Guangzhou.
The haul of three silver and two bronze medals so far is disappoiting considering the shooters' superb performance in last month's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where they won 30 medals.
"I had a meeting with all the shooters yesterday and told them that I am quitting. I have already informed the secretary general of NRAI Baljit Singh Sethi that I don't want to continue after the Games. I have been a chief national coach for too long, 17 years and I feel I am a misfit in the system," Thomas told PTI on Friday.
Thomas said he was leaving for Delhi on November 25 after the conclusion of the shot gun events that commenced on Thursday and will attend a meeting of the technical committee on November 27 before going back to Kerala on the 28.
"I will still be connected with shooting as I am the vice president of the federation. But I feel this responsibility as the chief national coach, which I took over in 1993, is a big burden. I want to get out (as chief coach) and look at things from inside," said the 69-year-old coach.
The shooting team created history in the CWG, winning 30 medals including 14 gold, to raise huge expectations of a similarly handy medal haul in the Asian Games but has largely come a cropper.
Gagan Narang, who won four gold medals in CWG, returns with only two silvers, including one in the team event, won in the 10m air rifle event.
Vijay Kumar won two bronze medals (men's 10m air pistol and 25m centre fire pistol) while the women got a team silver in the 10m air pistol.
Indian shooters had started well on the opening two days, before hitting a medal drought for three days.