He brought immense glory to the nation: PM Modi condoles shooting legend Jaspal Rana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the death of legendary batsman and coach Jaspal Rana, describing it as a deep loss for Indian sports and remembered him as a champion who brought immense glory to the nation both through his achievements and his work as a mentor.
Rana, 49, died in a Delhi hospital on Thursday night after suffering a medical emergency earlier this week.
In a post on X, Modi paid tribute to the former Asian Games gold medalist and appreciated his contribution to Indian shooting. “Deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Jaspal Rana Ji. His passing is a deep loss to the world of Indian sports,” the Prime Minister wrote.
“He brought immense glory to the nation through his extraordinary achievements in shooting. Equally remarkable was his contribution as a mentor who molded and guided young sportsmen 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 at this Shanti hour.”
Rana recently fell ill while returning from the ISSF World Championships in Munich, Germany with the Indian contingent. After landing in New Delhi, he was admitted to a hospital where he underwent a medical procedure to implant a stent. He remained under medical care before he died Thursday night.
At the time of his death, Rana was serving as the high-performance coach of India’s pistol shooters, a role he assumed after years of molding the country’s next generation of talent.
FROM SHOOTING ICON TO MASTER COACH
One of India’s most successful scorers, Rana enjoyed a distinguished career before moving into coaching, where he had an equally significant impact.
Since joining the junior national program in 2012, he has been instrumental in the development of several of India’s top pistol shooters, including Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwal and Chinki Yadav.
His work with Bhaker attracted widespread attention after the marksman won two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Games.
Rana was widely respected for his ability to prepare shooters for high-pressure competitions, implementing training methods designed to mimic match conditions and Olympic-level intensity.
LEAVE A PERMANENT LEGACY
The Indian National Rifle Association appointed Rana as the High Performance Coach for the 25m Pistol event in February 2025, recognizing his contribution to the growth of Indian shooting.
Beyond medals and results, Rana’s greatest legacy may lie in the generation of shooters he helped nurture. His work at the grassroots and junior levels created a steady pool of talent that strengthened India’s position in international shooting.
In 2020, the government honored him with the Dronacharya Award for his contribution in the field of coaching and development of athletes.
Tributes continued to pour in from across the sporting world on Friday, with athletes, coaches and administrators remembering Rana as a fierce competitor, demanding coach and mentor who dedicated his life to the sport.
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Published on:
12 Jun 2026 10:36 IST