Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana, who also coached Manu Bhaker, dies at 49

India lost one of its most successful sportspersons on Thursday as it was confirmed that legendary shooter Jaspal Rana has died at 49. Rana, who was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters, recently fell ill while returning to India from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.

He was later admitted to Max Hospital in Saket for treatment. His death at the hospital on Thursday has been confirmed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

Rana, who won a total of 13 gold medals across the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, is also known for coaching Manu Bhaker to two Olympic medals at the Paris Olympics 2024. Bhaker won 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team bronze medals under Rana's guidance.

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'Rana carried the pride of the country'

Paying a glowing tribute to his former colleague, India's only Olympic gold medallist in shooting, Abhinav Bindra, hailed Rana for making Indian proud on the international stage.

"Heartbroken to hear about Jaspal Rana’s passing. Jaspal was my teammate, and in many ways, part of a generation that helped shape Indian shooting. He was intense, gifted, and carried the pride of the country every time he stepped onto the range," Bindra wrote on X.

"This is a huge loss for our sport. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, students and everyone whose life he touched."

Expressing his sadness, PM Narendra Modi said: "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. 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.

"My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire sporting fraternity in this hour of grief. Om Shanti."

Jaspal Rana: A successful shooter and coach

After a decorated career as an elite shooter, Rana transformed Indian shooting through his roles as junior national team coach and high-performance trainer.

As a junior pistol coach since 2012, he has groomed teen sensations such as Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav. His work with the junior programme has created a massive pipeline of international talent.

Impressed with his work, NRAI officially appointed him as the High-Performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline. The NRAI appointed Rana as a high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025.

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.

With agency inputs