THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, JUNE 12, 2026
Indian shooting lost
one of its greatest icons on Friday with the death of celebrated marksman and
coach Jaspal Rana, whose extraordinary achievements as an athlete and mentor
helped shape the country’s rise as a global shooting powerhouse. Rana, 49, died
in New Delhi following health complications, leaving the sporting fraternity in
deep mourning and bringing to a close one of the most illustrious chapters in Indian
shooting history.
Rana was admitted to
a hospital in Delhi after reportedly experiencing discomfort while returning
from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his
illness. At the time of his death, he was serving as India’s high-performance
coach for pistol events, continuing a lifelong commitment to nurturing
excellence in the sport he loved.
President Droupadi
Murmu led the nation in paying tribute, describing his demise as “extremely
sad” and recalling how his exceptional performances brought glory to India. She
hailed him as an icon of Indian sports whose dedication, discipline and contribution
to nurturing young talent would continue to inspire generations.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi expressed profound grief, calling Rana’s death a significant loss
to Indian sports. In a message on X, the Prime Minister said the shooting
legend had brought immense honour to the nation through his extraordinary
achievements and had made an equally remarkable contribution as a mentor who
guided young athletes with unwavering dedication.
Vice President C. P.
Radhakrishnan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
also paid heartfelt tributes, highlighting Rana’s role in elevating India’s
stature in international shooting and his enduring influence as a coach, mentor
and ambassador of the sport.
A towering figure in
Indian shooting, Rana remains the country’s most successful athlete in
Commonwealth Games history, amassing an astounding 15 medals, including nine
golds, across four editions of the Games between 1994 and 2006. His dominance
extended to the Asian Games, where he secured eight medals, including four
golds, establishing himself among Asia’s finest shooters.
Among the most
memorable moments of his career was the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where he won
three gold medals despite battling a high fever. Earlier, at the 1994 World
Shooting Championships in Milan, he clinched a gold medal with a
record-breaking performance, announcing India’s arrival on the global shooting
stage. He later equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event
with an aggregate score of 590 at the 2006 Asian Games.
His stellar
accomplishments earned him some of the nation’s highest sporting honours,
including the Arjuna Award in 1994, the Padma Shri in 1997 and the Dronacharya
Award in 2020 for his outstanding contribution as a coach.
After retiring from
competitive shooting, Rana devoted himself to developing future champions. He
played a pivotal role in mentoring some of India’s brightest pistol shooters,
including Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala and Chinki Yadav. His
guidance proved instrumental in Bhaker’s resurgence ahead of the 2024 Paris
Olympics, where she went on to secure two bronze medals and reaffirm India’s
strength in the sport.
National Rifle
Association of India President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo described Rana’s death
as a huge loss to Indian sport, remembering him not only as a champion shooter
but also as an exceptional mentor who inspired countless athletes.
Jaspal Rana’s demise
marks the end of an era in Indian shooting. As a record-breaking champion,
Commonwealth Games legend, world-class coach and mentor, he leaves behind a
legacy that transformed Indian pistol shooting and inspired generations to
dream bigger, aim higher and bring glory to the nation on the world stage.
