The 60th National Shooting Championship began on a sad note as Syed Wajid Ali, a popular face in the shooting fraternity, passed away in Pune following a massive heart attack on Monday.
Wajid Ali, who was officiating as the Chief Range Officer at the 25m range at the Balewadi Shooting Range in Pune, fell unconscious at around 8:00 pm while supervising the final preparations for the next day’s competition. He was rushed to the nearby hospital.
Doctors tried to revive 59-year-old Wajid Ali but soon declared him dead at around 9:00 pm.
Wajid Ali was associated with the shooting sport since the last 25 years and was currently India’s chief pistol coach.
Wajid Ali, who had come back from the 9th Asian Airgun Championship in Tehran on Saturday, reported next day for the National Shooting Championship in Pune.
The last time Wajid Ali was in the news was when he was denied US visa to travel along with the Indian team for the ISSF World Cup in 2013.
