Renowned Indian shooting coach Jaspal Rana passes away at 49

New Delhi (IANS) – Renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana died today at the age of 49. Rana, who coached several Indian pistol shooters, including double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol events.

Medical staff admitted Rana to the hospital after he felt discomfort while returning to India from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo condoled the demise of Rana. “It is a huge loss. He was not only a champion shooter but also a great mentor. We will miss him deeply,” Deo said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed grief over the death of legendary Indian shooter and high-performance coach Jaspal Rana. “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,” PM Modi wrote on X.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his condolences, calling Rana’s demise a “massive loss to the Indian sporting world.” “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden demise of internationally renowned shooter Jaspal Rana. Along with being an outstanding athlete and coach, Jaspal was an extremely simple, humble, and kind-hearted human being. He played a highly impactful role in popularising shooting as a sport in India,” Rajnath Singh shared on X.

Rana, who won numerous medals on the international stage, secured his place as India’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history. He achieved a remarkable tally of 15 medals—9 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronzes—across four editions of the Games: 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. He also won eight medals in the Asian Games across the 1994, 1998, and 2006 editions.

The Indian government honoured his contributions to sports by presenting him with the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997. In recognition of his coaching excellence, he also received the Dronacharya Award in 2020, India’s highest honour for sports coaching.

After concluding a great career as a shooter himself, he turned to coaching and helped train the country’s best new pistol shooters. His biggest success came from coaching Manu Bhaker, who made history by winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics. Rana also coached other top shooters, including Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav, helping to build a strong future for Indian shooting.

Here is the text rewritten entirely in the active voice. Passives like “passed away,” “was conferred,” “was awarded,” or “is recognized” have been changed to direct, active structures.