New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Renowned Indian shooting coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Jaspal Rana dies at 49.

Rana, who coaches several Indian pistol shooters, including double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol events.

Rana was admitted to hospital after feeling discomfort while returning to India from the ISSF World Cup in Munich.

National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo consoled the demise of Rana. “It is a huge loss. He was not only a champion shooter but also a great mentor. He will be deeply missed,” he told IANS.

Rana, who won numerous medals at international stage, was India’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history, with a remarkable tally of 15 medals—9 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze—won across four editions of the Games: 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006. He has won eight medals in Asian Games across 1994, 1998 and 2006 editions.

He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997 for his contributions to Indian shooting. Recognised for his excellence in coaching, Rana received the Dronacharya Award in 2020, India’s highest honour for sports coaching.

After a great career as a shooter himself, he turned coaching and helped train the country’s best new pistol shooters.

His biggest success was coaching Manu Bhaker, who made history by winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics. Rana has also coached other top shooters, like Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav, helping to build a strong future for Indian shooting.

–IANS

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