Indian shooting coach Jaspal Rana died aged 49 on Thursday night, confirmed the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Friday.
The Asian Games gold medallist breathed his last at a Delhi hospital last night, said NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, quoted PTI.
Rana was admitted to a hospital in Delhi after falling ill during the Indian contingent’s return flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. He subsequently underwent a medical procedure in New Delhi to have a stent implanted.
Rana was one of India’s most decorated pistol shooters and dedicated more than three decades to the sport, first as a champion athlete and later as a coach. At the time of his death, he was serving as the high-performance coach of India’s pistol shooting team.
Rana’s legacy
Born in 1976 into a Garhwali family in Uttarakhand, Rana rose to fame in the 1990s after winning gold in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima at the age of 18.
He was also awarded the Arjuna Award in 1994 at age 18, followed by the Padma Shri in 1997.
Rana played a pivotal role in popularising shooting in India at a time when the sport was still developing and helped inspire a generation of young shooters through his success on the international stage.
After retiring from competitive shooting, Rana transitioned to coaching in 2012. He helped several Indian pistol shooters achieve success at major international competitions, further strengthening India’s reputation as a shooting powerhouse.
