Indian shooting in shock as legend Jaspal Rana passes away at 49

Dronacharya Award-winning coach and legendary shooter Jaspal Rana passed away in New Delhi at 49. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra paid tribute, calling his former teammate's death a 'huge loss for our sport'.

Indian Shooting Legend Jaspal Rana Passes Away

India's 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra paid his condolences on the death of his former teammate and Dronacharya Award-winning coach Jaspal Rana. The 49-year-old passed away in New Delhi on Friday after battling health complications. He was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket, South Delhi, where he breathed his last, hospital officials confirmed. Bindra shared a post on X and wrote, "Heartbroken to hear about Jaspal Rana's passing. Jaspal was my teammate, and in many ways, part of a generation that helped shape Indian shooting. He was intense, gifted, and carried the pride of the country every time he stepped onto the range. This is a huge loss for our sport. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, students and everyone whose life he touched."

Rana had reportedly fallen ill while returning from the ISSF World Cup in Munich on Thursday and later underwent a medical procedure in Delhi.

An Illustrious Career

His passing comes as a major blow to Indian shooting, where he played a transformative role both as an athlete and a coach.

One of India's most decorated shooters, Rana leaves behind a remarkable legacy spanning more than three decades. He remains India's most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, having won an extraordinary 15 medals -- nine gold, four silver and two bronze -- across the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions of the Games.

His achievements extended well beyond the Commonwealth stage. Rana secured four gold medals and one silver at the Asian Games, including a gold medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and a historic haul of three gold medals at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Known for his grit and determination, Rana famously won three gold medals in Doha despite competing with a high fever, a feat that remains one of the most celebrated achievements in Indian shooting history.

Legacy as a Coach and Mentor

After retiring from competition, Rana devoted himself to coaching and talent development. As a junior national coach, he identified and nurtured several future stars, including Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary. Despite a widely publicised fallout with Bhaker before the Tokyo Olympics, the two later reunited, with Rana playing a key role in her successful campaign that culminated in two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

He was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997 for his contributions to Indian shooting. He was awarded the Dronacharya Award in 2020. At the time of his death, Rana was serving as India's high-performance coach for pistol events. (ANI)

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