Former Indian shooter and coach Jaspal Rana passes away

Former Indian shooter and coach Jaspal Rana passed away in New Delhi on Friday. He was one of India's most successful shooters and later became a respected coach, helping develop many young shooting talents in the country.

His uncle, Rajendra Singh Rana, expressed shock and sadness over his death, saying Jaspal had no known health problems and was on his way to Germany when the incident took place. "This is a moment of great sorrow. He had no prior (health) issues. He was heading to Germany when this happened," Rajendra Singh Rana told ANI.

Jaspal Rana enjoyed a stellar career that lasted more than 30 years. He is India's most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, winning 15 medals - nine gold, four silver and two bronze - across the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions. He also achieved great success at the Asian Games, winning four gold medals and one silver. His achievements included a gold medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and three gold medals at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. In 1994, he won a gold medal at the World Shooting Championships in Milan and set a record score. He also equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event with a score of 590 at the 2006 Asian Games.

At the time of his death, Rana was serving as India's high-performance coach for pistol shooting. His contributions as both a champion shooter and coach earned him immense respect in Indian sports.

Tributes poured in from across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah among those mourning his death. "Deeply saddened by the demise of legendary sportsperson Jaspal Rana Ji. He dedicated his life to establishing India's indomitable mettle in shooting by winning international honors for the nation and by nurturing young shooters as a coach. Rana Ji's passing is an irreparable loss to the nation. At this moment of grief, I extend heartfelt condolences to his family and millions of admirers," Amit Shah wrote on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to the shooting legend. "Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Jaspal Rana Ji. His passing is a profound loss to the world of Indian sports. He brought immense glory to the nation through his extraordinary achievements in shooting. Equally remarkable was his contribution as a mentor, shaping and guiding young athletes with great dedication. His unwavering commitment to excellence, discipline and service to the sporting world earned him immense admiration. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire sporting fraternity in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," the Prime Minister said.