Newsmakers

Jaspal Rana, the Asian Games gold medallist shooter who later guided Manu Bhaker to her historic double bronze-medal feat at the Paris Olympics as a coach, has died. He was 49.

According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night.

Rana recently underwent a medical procedure after falling ill during the Indian contingent's return flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. Upon landing in New Delhi, he was immediately hospitalised.

After doctors examined his condition, a stent was put in place to clear a cardiac blockage. A second stent procedure was expected to be carried out a few days later. It was reported that Jaspal was stable and recovering before the news of his death emerged.

"He (Jaspal) experienced chest pain and discomfort during the ISSF World Cup in Munich, which he initially mistook for acidity, and continued with his travel plans. However, the discomfort returned during the journey back to India, prompting immediate medical attention upon his arrival in Delhi," his brother, Subash Rana, had told the media after his admission to the hospital a few days ago.

He is one of the most successful Indian athletes in the history of the Commonwealth Games, dominating across four editions (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006). His most famous performance for India came at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where he won three gold medals and equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol.

After a decorated career as an elite shooter, Rana transformed Indian shooting through his roles as junior national team coach and high-performance trainer. Rana last served as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters.

His coaching contributions include mentoring Manu and helping her secure a double bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As a junior pistol coach since 2012, he has been instrumental in guiding shooters like Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala.

His work with the junior programme has created a pipeline of international talent. The NRAI had officially appointed him as the High-Performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline. Rana is credited with instituting rigorous training routines that perfectly replicated the pressure of actual Olympic matches.

For his contributions to the sport and the development of the next generation of shooters, he was given the Dronacharya Award in 2020.