Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/ New Delhi, 12 Jun: Renowned shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana passed away at Max Hospital in Saket, New Delhi, today, at the age of 49 following cardiac complications that surfaced after returning from Munich to Delhi after the ISSF World Cup. Rana is survived by his wife, Reena Rana and two children – daughter Devanshi and son Yuvraj. His daughter Devanshi is also a shooter; following in her father’s footsteps, she won a gold medal at the 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup. His wife, Reena Rana, has also been a national-level shooter. His siblings, Subhash Rana and Sushma Rana, are accomplished shooters as well. Jaspal Rana’s sister, Sushma Rana, is married to the son of Union Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh. Rana, who was serving as the high performance coach for India’s pistol shooters, had reportedly experienced discomfort while travelling back from Munich. On arrival in New Delhi, he was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket where doctors identified a cardiac blockage and inserted a stent. A second procedure was planned in the coming days, and initial reports suggested he was stable and recovering, but news of his death came as a shock this morning.
His brother Subash Rana told the media that he had first experienced chest pain and discomfort during the ISSF World Cup in Munich, which he mistook for acidity, but the symptoms returned during the flight back to India, prompting immediate medical attention. Rana’s sudden demise is a major blow to Indian shooting. One of the country’s most accomplished shooters and respected coaches, he played a pivotal role in shaping generations of pistol shooters and remained deeply involved with the national programme until his final days.
Rana, who won numerous medals at international stage, was India’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history, with a remarkable tally of 15 medals—9 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze—won across four editions of the Games: 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006. He won eight medals in Asian Games across 1994, 1998 and 2006 editions.
He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997 for his contributions to Indian shooting. Recognised for his excellence in coaching, Rana received the Dronacharya Award in 2020, India’s highest honour for sports coaching.
After a great career as a shooter himself, he turned coaching and helped train the country’s best new pistol shooters.
His biggest success was coaching Manu Bhaker, who made history by winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics. Rana has also coached other top shooters, like Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav, helping to build a strong future for Indian shooting.
