Indian shooting legend and national coach Jaspal Rana died on Friday after a brief illness, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) said. He was 49 and survived by his wife and two children. Rana had reportedly undergone a heart procedure at a Delhi hospital last week after returning from the shooting World Cup in Munich.
One of India’s most decorated shooters, Rana leaves behind a legacy that spans more than three decades as an athlete, coach and mentor. He won multiple medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and remains India’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, with 15 medals – including nine golds – across four editions between 1994 and 2006.
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Born in Uttarkashi in present-day Uttarakhand, Rana announced himself as a prodigious talent at a young age. His breakthrough came in 1994 when he won gold at the Asian Games in Hiroshima and set a junior world record at the World Shooting Championships in Milan. He went on to represent India at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and became a dominant force in pistol shooting through the 1990s and 2000s.
Rana coached Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and was widely credited with helping revive her career ahead of the Paris Olympics, where she won two bronze medals. (Pic Credit: X)
Among the highlights of his career was the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, where he won three gold medals and a silver, while equalling the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event with a score of 590.
For his achievements, Rana was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997. After retiring from competition, he successfully transitioned into coaching and was awarded the Dronacharya Award in 2020.
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Rana played a pivotal role in shaping a new generation of Indian shooters. Most notably, he coached Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and was widely credited with helping revive her career ahead of the Paris Olympics, where she won two bronze medals.
Born in Uttarkashi in present-day Uttarakhand, Rana announced himself as a prodigious talent at a young age. (PTI PHoto) 
Rana coached Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and was widely credited with helping revive her career ahead of the Paris Olympics, where she won two bronze medals. (Pic Credit: X)
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