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Pushpender Kumar, who, currently serves as a corporal with the Indian Air Force, lost his left thumb in a tragic incident on Saturday evening.
According to a PTI report, Kumar was filling his pistol cylinder and the air pistol cylinder exploded, resulting in his left thumb getting decapitated. His condition required immediate treatment and thus was rushed to the hospital.
Kumar was training at a shooting range and was preparing for the National Championship, which is, currently taking place in Bhopal. He hasn’t yet participated in an international event and is unlikely to participate in any event anytime soon.
His coach is thankful that Kumar’s shooting arm wasn’t affected and is also pretty optimistic about his recovery.
"We are hopeful Pushpender will make 90-95 per cent recovery post-surgery," the coach said to the PTI. "Air pistol cylinders have to be replaced after a certain period of time and the gun manufacturers do it for free. Thankfully, Pushpender's shooting arm is safe.' The coach added that he had not come across such an incident in his career 'though (gun) vendors say such incidents do happen."
"It is sad that he will not be able to compete in the national championships currently underway in Bhopal. His mother had passed away some 15-20 days back. As far as I know, he has not played internationally. He usually trains at the Karni Singh range in Delhi," he added.
"There is a possibility of a mishap if the refill cylinders are not replaced" - Pushpender Kumar’s coach
Another coach highlighted the importance of replacing the refill cylinders at the right time. He stated that cylinders must be replaced as and when advised by the manufacturer.
"There is a possibility of a mishap if the refill cylinders are not replaced as directed by the manufacturers. I don't know the exact cause of the blast but one should not take it lightly as once the validity expires anything can happen," he said on condition of anonymity.
"Pushpender is a good shooter and I have known him for a long time. What I have been told is that he has undergone a major surgery. He is around 28-30 years old. Usually what happens is that the pressure gauge indicator on the air weapon's cylinder starts malfunctioning, giving incorrect reading. It leads to overfilling of the cylinder, which causes it to burst," he added.
Pushpendra Kumar is, currently admitted to the Army Hospital. An international rifle shooter from Meerut named Ravi Kumar is also present to take care of him.
