New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu paid his condolences on the loss of life 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.
President Murmu shared a put up on X and wrote, ‘The news of the passing of Shri Jaspal Rana Ji is extraordinarily unhappy. He was a famend shooter whose distinctive performances introduced glory to the nation. A winner of a number of medals at international taking pictures competitions, he established himself as an icon of Indian sports activities. As an athlete and mentor, he made an enduring contribution by nurturing younger expertise. His dedication, self-discipline and dedication to excellence will proceed to encourage generations of sportspersons. I lengthen my heartfelt condolences to his household, mates and the sports activities group.’
Rana had reportedly fallen ailing whereas coming back from the ISSF World Cup in Munich on Thursday and later underwent a medical process in Delhi. His passing comes as a significant blow to Indian taking pictures, the place he performed a transformative position each as an athlete and a coach.
One of India’s most embellished shooters, Rana leaves behind a exceptional legacy spanning greater than three a long time. He stays India’s most profitable Commonwealth Games athlete, having received a rare 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 willpower, Rana famously received three gold medals in Doha regardless of competing with a excessive fever, a feat that continues to be some of the celebrated achievements in Indian taking pictures historical past.
After retiring from competitors, Rana devoted himself to teaching and expertise improvement. As a junior nationwide coach, he recognized and nurtured a number of future stars, together with Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary.
Despite a extensively 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 loss of life, Rana was serving as India’s high-performance coach for pistol occasions. (ANI)