New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan condoled the dying of former Asian Games gold medallist and Dronacharya Award-winning coach Jaspal Rana.
The 49-year-old handed away in New Delhi on Friday after battling well being issues. He was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket, South Delhi, the place he breathed his final, hospital officers confirmed.
Pradhan shared a publish on X and wrote, ‘The news of the passing of famend shooter and coach Jaspal Rana ji, who introduced glory to India on the worldwide stage, is extraordinarily heartbreaking. With his extraordinary expertise, self-discipline, and dedication, he gifted the nation numerous moments of satisfaction in taking pictures. From achievements as an athlete to nurturing new skills as a coach, his contributions will without end be remembered. His demise is an irreplaceable loss for the Indian sports activities world. May God grant peace to the departed soul and supply energy to the household and his admirers throughout this troublesome time. Om Shanti.’
Rana had reportedly fallen sick whereas getting back from the ISSF World Cup in Munich on Thursday and later underwent a medical process in Delhi. His passing comes as a serious blow to Indian taking pictures, the place he performed a transformative position each as an athlete and a coach.
One of India’s most adorned shooters, Rana leaves behind a exceptional legacy spanning greater than three a long time. He stays India’s most profitable Commonwealth Games athlete, having gained a unprecedented 15 medals — 9 gold, 4 silver and two bronze — throughout the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions of the Games.
His achievements prolonged effectively past the Commonwealth stage. Rana secured 4 gold medals and one silver on the Asian Games, together with a gold medal on the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and a historic haul of three gold medals on the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
Known for his grit and dedication, Rana famously gained three gold medals in Doha regardless of competing with a excessive fever, a feat that is still one of the vital celebrated achievements in Indian taking pictures historical past.
After retiring from competitors, Rana devoted himself to teaching and expertise growth. As a junior nationwide coach, he recognized and nurtured a number of future stars, together with Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary.
Despite a broadly publicised fallout with Bhaker earlier than the Tokyo Olympics, the 2 later reunited, with Rana taking part in a key position in her profitable marketing campaign that culminated in two bronze medals on the Paris Olympics in 2024.
He was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1994 and the Padma Shri in 1997 for his contributions to Indian taking pictures. He was awarded the Dronacharya Award in 2020.
At the time of his dying, Rana was serving as India’s high-performance coach for pistol occasions. (ANI)