Jaspal Rana, India's celebrated shooter and coach, passes away at 49

File Pic: Jaspal Rana with Manu Bhaker after historic double bronze-medal feat at the Paris Olympics. (PTI Photo)

Indian shooting lost one of its finest pistol shooters on Friday. Jaspal Rana, an Asian Games gold medallist and winner of multiple international events who later transformed Indian shooting as a coach, breathed his last at a Delhi hospital at the age of 49 after battling cardiac complications.

Rana was one of India’s most prominent shooters and coaches, a maverick figure whose outspoken demeanour and passion for the sport shaped generations of young talent. It was in 1976, in Chilamu village of Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal region that a prodigy was born who would devote his life to shooting and go on to become one of India's finest marksmen on the international stage. Rana picked up shooting at the age of 10 and never looked back. He won his first national-level gold medal at just 12 years of age before announcing himself to the world in 1994 at the World Shooting Championships in Milan, where he returned with a junior gold medal and a world record score.ALSO READ: 'His dedication will inspire generations': President Murmu, Abhinav Bindra lead tributes to Jaspal Rana That same year, he secured the 25m centre fire pistol gold at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, marking his international breakthrough. The Asian Games title was India's first shooting gold in 16 years after Raja Randhir Singh had opened the country's account in 1978. The legend roared through his shooting career, collecting medals and establishing himself as one of India's most accomplished shooters. Over the years, Rana added achievements to his tally across the Asian Games, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games. Even today, he remains India's most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, having won 15 medals, including nine golds, across four editions. Rana was honoured with the Arjuna Award at the age of 18, followed by the Padma Shri three years later. The 2006 Doha Asian Games remain the highlight of his shooting career. Rana won three gold medals and a silver in a sensational campaign that included equalling the world record in the 25m centre fire pistol event. After a decorated career as an elite shooter, Rana continued to contribute to the sport. He moved into coaching and joined the national fold in 2012, leading the junior pistol programme and acting as an important cog in shaping India's next generation of shooters. A tough taskmaster, he was credited with instituting rigorous training routines that replicated the pressure of actual Olympic competition. Much like any accomplished teacher, Rana earned recognition through the achievements of his protégés. He played a key role in grooming talents such as Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala and Chinki Yadav, creating a pipeline that would leave a lasting impact on Indian shooting. Yet, it was through Manu Bhaker that the nation saw the full extent of his coaching legacy. Under his guidance, Bhaker emerged as India's standout performer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, returning with two bronze medals and becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Games. For his contribution to the sport and the development of the next generation of shooters, Rana was conferred with the Dronacharya Award in 2020. Despite his achievements as a coach, Rana remained deeply involved with the national setup. He was appointed the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in 2025 and continued mentoring India's next generation of prodigies until his final days.