Renowned Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana, an Asian Games gold medallist and instrumental mentor to Olympic medalists like Manu Bhaker, has passed away at the age of 49 following a medical procedure after falling ill on a flight. Rana, who was appointed the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025, was widely recognized for transforming Indian shooting through his extensive work with the junior national team since 2012, nurturing talents such as Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala, and was honored with the Dronacharya Award in 2020 for his significant contributions to athlete development and was mourned by Prime Minister Modi as a profound loss to Indian sports.

Renowned Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana, an Asian Games gold medallist and instrumental mentor to Olympic medalists like Manu Bhaker, has passed away at the age of 49 following a medical procedure after falling ill on a flight. Rana, who was appointed the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025, was widely recognized for transforming Indian shooting through his extensive work with the junior national team since 2012, nurturing talents such as Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala, and was honored with the Dronacharya Award in 2020 for his significant contributions to athlete development and was mourned by Prime Minister Modi as a profound loss to Indian sports.

Renowned Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana, an Asian Games gold medallist and instrumental mentor to Olympic medalists like Manu Bhaker, has passed away at the age of 49 following a medical procedure after falling ill on a flight. Rana, who was appointed the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025, was widely recognized for transforming Indian shooting through his extensive work with the junior national team since 2012, nurturing talents such as Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala, and was honored with the Dronacharya Award in 2020 for his significant contributions to athlete development and was mourned by Prime Minister Modi as a profound loss to Indian sports.

India's shooting icon Jaspal Rana has passed away at 49. The Asian Games gold medallist shooter was instrumental in tutoring Manu Bhaker to her historic double bronze-medal feat at the Paris Olympics.

According to the 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 and underwent a medical procedure to have a stent fixed.

The NRAI had officially appointed Rana as the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025. After a decorated career as an elite shooter, Rana transformed Indian shooting through his roles as the junior national team coach and high-performance trainer. As a junior pistol coach since 2012, he groomed teen sensations such as Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav. His work with the junior programme created a massive pipeline of international talent.

Rana is credited with instituting rigorous training routines that perfectly replicated the pressure of actual Olympic matches. For his immense contributions to the sport and the development of the next generation of shooters, the government conferred on him the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2020.

Prime Minister Modi expressed grief over the death of shooter Jaspal Rana, saying his demise 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," the PM wrote.

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