Former rifle shooter Pournima Zanane passed away
Dharshana Kathiresan, INN/Chennai, @infodeaofficial
Pournima Zanane, former international rifle shooter and coach from Maharashtra, passed away in Pune on June 20. She was 42 and for the previous two years, she had been suffering from cancer.
Born in Nanded, she began her career in Mumbai and later she moved to Pune. She was a national record holder in the 10m air rifle event and she participated in World Cups and Asian Championships on behalf of India. Also, the government of Maharashtra had presented the esteemed Shiv Chhatrapati award to her.
Two years ago during the Nationals in Kerala, Pournima was diagnosed with cancer.
Deepali Deshpande, present national coach and her senior in the Indian team recalls her. “She was way more mature than all her contemporaries and was one of the most intelligent shooters I have seen. She had her share of struggles throughout her life but she was a fighter. She knew her strengths and weaknesses well. Her demise is a big loss for everybody around her. I knew about her health but it is still difficult to come to terms with the news of her passing away,” said Deepali Deshpande.
Even though she was surrounded by excellent competitors like Deepali, Anjali Bhagwat, and Suma Shirur, Pournima won several medals at Commonwealth Champions, SAF Games and Asian Championships.
