New Delhi, June 12
Indian shooting icon and renowned coach Jaspal Rana, who played a key role in shaping the country’s pistol shooting programme and guided Manu Bhaker to her historic twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, passed away at the age of 49 following cardiac complications. His death has left the Indian sporting community and shooting fraternity in deep shock.
According to National Rifle Association of India President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night. Hospital sources said he had been admitted on June 1 after experiencing chest pain and was diagnosed with arterial blockages. Despite undergoing treatment and having a stent implanted, his condition reportedly worsened in the following days.
Rana had fallen ill while returning with the Indian contingent from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. After arriving in New Delhi, he was immediately admitted to the hospital for medical care.
Widely regarded as one of India’s greatest pistol shooters, Rana displayed exceptional talent from a young age and won his first national gold medal at 12. His international breakthrough came in 1994, when he won gold in the 25m pistol event at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
His Asian Games success ended India’s 16-year wait for a shooting gold medal at the continental event. Rana later produced one of the finest performances of his career at the 2006 Asian Games, winning three gold medals and one silver while equalling the then world record.
After retiring from competitive shooting, Rana successfully transitioned to coaching and became one of the most influential figures in Indian shooting. His most celebrated achievement as a coach came with mentoring Manu Bhaker, who became the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single Olympic Games after securing two bronze medals in Paris.
Since joining the junior coaching programme in 2012, Rana has helped develop several top shooters, including Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala and Chinki Yadav. His contribution to building India’s future shooting talent pool is widely acknowledged across the sport.
In February last year, the NRAI appointed him High Performance Coach for the 25m pistol discipline. Known for his disciplined and demanding training methods, Rana was credited with creating competition-like environments that helped shooters prepare for major international events.
For his contribution to Indian sports, Rana received several prestigious honours, including the Arjuna Award in 1994, the Padma Shri in 1997 and the Dronacharya Award in 2020.
He also remains India’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, having won 15 medals, including 9 gold, across 4 editions of the Games. Rana is survived by his wife, Reena Rana; daughter, Devanshi; son, Yuvraj; father, Narayan Singh Rana; sister, Sushma Singh; and brother, Subhash Rana.
His passing marks the end of an era in Indian shooting, leaving behind a legacy that shaped generations of athletes and elevated India’s standing in the sport on the global stage.
