GUWAHATI: Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana passed away at the age of 49, dealing a major blow to the country's shooting fraternity.
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Rana, who was serving as India's high-performance coach for pistol shooters, reportedly experienced discomfort while returning from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. After arriving in New Delhi, he was admitted to a hospital in Delhi, where doctors diagnosed a cardiac blockage and inserted a stent. While he was initially reported to be stable and recovering, news of his death emerged on Friday morning, June 12.
One of India's most accomplished shooters and respected coaches, Rana remained actively involved in the national shooting programme until his final days. He played a key role in nurturing several generations of pistol shooters and was widely credited with strengthening India's talent pipeline in the discipline.
In recent years, Rana was best known for coaching Manu Bhaker, whose partnership with him culminated in a historic performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Bhaker won bronze medals in the women's 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol events, becoming the first Indian athlete to secure two medals at a single Olympic Games after Independence.
Beyond Bhaker, Rana worked closely with leading shooters including Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala and Chinki Yadav. His contributions to India's junior shooting programme helped build a strong pool of athletes who consistently delivered results on the international stage.
The National Rifle Association of India appointed Rana as High-Performance Coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025. In 2020, he received the prestigious Dronacharya Award in recognition of his contributions to coaching.
Born on June 28, 1976, in Uttarakhand, Rana burst onto the international scene in 1994 when he won junior gold at the World Shooting Championships in Milan with a world-record score. Later that year, he claimed gold in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event at the Asian Games, marking the beginning of an illustrious career.
Over the years, Rana emerged as one of India's most successful shooters, winning medals at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships. He remains India's most successful Commonwealth Games shooter, having won 15 medals, including nine golds.
His death marks the end of a distinguished career that left a lasting impact on Indian shooting, both as an athlete and as a coach.