New Delhi. There is a wave of mourning in the entire sports world on the untimely demise of Indian shooting legend and renowned coach Jaspal Rana. Many personalities from the sports world including President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed deep grief over his demise. Rana died in a hospital in Delhi early Friday. He was 49 years old.
In a message released on ‘X’, President Murmu said, “The news of the demise of Jaspal Rana ji is extremely sad. He was a renowned shooter, whose excellent performance made the country proud.” He said that Rana, who had won many medals in various shooting competitions at the global level, had made his unique identity in the Indian sports world.
The President said, “As a player and mentor, he made an indelible contribution to the world of sports by nurturing young talent. His dedication, discipline and commitment to excellence will continue to inspire players of future generations.”
The Prime Minister said that this is a big loss for the Indian sports world. Modi posted on Instagram, “I am deeply saddened by the demise of Jaspal Rana ji. His demise is a big loss to the Indian sports world.” The Prime Minister said that Rana made the country proud with his extraordinary achievements in shooting and as a coach played an important role in preparing young players.
He said, “His excellence, discipline and unwavering commitment to the world of sports have earned him immense appreciation. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with his family, friends and the entire sports world. Om Shanti.” Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also remembered Rana’s contribution to Indian shooting.
Mandaviya said, “Deeply saddened by the demise of Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana ji. His stellar contribution to the country as a champion athlete and excellent mentor has left an inspiring legacy. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and people associated with the sports world. Om Shanti.”
Very sad to hear the news of Rana’s demise: Bindra
Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra expressed deep grief over Rana’s demise. He said, “Very sad to hear the news of Jaspal Rana’s demise. Jaspal was my teammate in the Indian team and in many ways was part of the generation that gave a new direction to Indian shooting. He was very passionate and talented. He always kept the country’s honor paramount in competitions.” He said, ”This is a big loss for our sports world. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, disciples and all those on whose lives he left an indelible mark.
Olympic bronze medalist rifle shooter and coach Gagan Narang said that it was after seeing Rana that the shooters of his generation started dreaming of making a name in this sport. Narang posted, “Words don’t seem real enough to write when there is a great loss. When I went to the shooting range for the first time, we all used to take the name of Jaspal Bhai with great reverence. By then the news of his brilliant performance in Hiroshima had spread all around.
He said, “A teenager had shown the entire country that an Indian can rule this game. We not only praised them, but also tested ourselves against them. He was a hero to me. He also left an indelible mark as a coach. The foundation of Indian shooting rests on his shoulders and will always remain so.
London Olympics silver medalist shooter Vijay Kumar also expressed deep grief over Rana’s demise and said the former national champion’s contribution as a shooter and coach will always be remembered. He said, “Rana ji was my teammate in the Asian and Commonwealth Games. This is a huge loss for both the sport and the country. He was also an excellent coach.” He said, ”Only a few days ago I came to know that he was not well, but I never thought that he would leave us like this. I am shocked.
Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Jaspal Rana was considered among India’s best pistol shooters. After his playing career, he also made a notable contribution as a coach and trained many young shooters. Among these, the name of two-time Olympic bronze medalist Manu Bhakar is prominent.
Indian men’s cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir described Rana as a ‘great player’. Gambhir posted, “Jaspal Rana was a legend of Indian sports. A huge void has been created by his demise. Om Shanti.”
Former world number one double trap shooter Ranjan Sodhi described Rana’s demise as extremely sad and shocking. He said, “It was learned that he is no longer with us. He was a very good friend of mine. To be honest, I still can’t believe it. This is a very sad and unfortunate incident. He was a very close friend of mine and a wonderful human being. I can’t say anything more than that. It’s a huge loss for all of us,” he said. “In fact, he was the first person who showed us how to win in global competitions (after his stellar performance at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan).”
