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Indian shooting legend and Manu Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana dies at 49
Public Lokpal
June 12, 2026
Indian shooting legend and Manu Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana dies at 49
New Delhi: Jaspal Rana, the Asian Games gold medallist who later played a pivotal role in shaping India’s shooting future as a coach, died on Thursday night in Delhi. He was 49.
According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital after suffering health complications.
Rana had reportedly fallen ill during the Indian contingent’s return flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. Upon arrival in New Delhi, he was hospitalised and underwent a medical procedure to have a stent fixed.
He was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters and had recently been appointed by the NRAI as the high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February 2025.
A decorated shooter during his competitive years, Rana won multiple medals for India, including an Asian Games gold, before transitioning into coaching and talent development.
He emerged as one of the key architects of India’s shooting success, mentoring several young stars and helping build a strong talent pipeline through the junior programme.
Rana notably guided Manu Bhaker to her historic double bronze-medal feat at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Since taking over as junior pistol coach in 2012, he also nurtured top shooters such as Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala and Chinki Yadav.
Widely respected for introducing high-pressure training routines that mirrored Olympic competition, Rana was credited with significantly strengthening India’s pistol shooting ecosystem.
In recognition of his contribution to the sport and his role in nurturing the next generation of shooters, the government conferred the prestigious Dronacharya Award on him in 2020. PTI
