Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday participated in the 'Terhvi' of veteran shooter and Padma Shri awardee Jaspal Rana to pay tribute to him. He paid tribute to the veteran shooter by offering flowers at his residence in Majhaun, Dehradun and expressed condolences to the family members. He gave courage and consoled the family in this difficult time. Apart from Rajnath Singh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also attended the condolence meeting.
While talking to the media at the condolence meeting, Brajesh Pathak expressed grief over the demise of Jaspal Rana and said that his demise is a big loss for the sports world. He said that Rana belonged to an extraordinary family, three of whose members have been honored with many prestigious awards including the Dronacharya Award. He said that apart from being an excellent shooter, he was also an inspiration for the youth who participated in sports.
Actually, 49-year-old pistol shooter Jaspal Rana died on June 11 after being ill for some time due to heart disease. Rana, considered one of the best pistol shooters in the country, later got into the field of coaching and played an important role in Manu Bhaker winning two historic bronze medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. After his death, before his mortal remains were taken from Dehradun via air ambulance, he was given a farewell with full state honors and on June 13, hundreds of people had gathered in Varanasi to bid him a final farewell.
His body was again given state honors when it reached Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, where his son Yuvraj performed the last rites. His last rites were performed in the presence of his family and members of the shooting community as well as people from different walks of life.
Jaspal Rana, counted among India's greatest shooters, had an illustrious career for more than three decades. He still remains India's most successful athlete at the Commonwealth Games, having won a total of 15 medals, including 9 gold medals, in four editions of the competition. His achievements include four gold medals and one silver medal at the Asian Games, while he won the gold medal at the 1994 World Shooting Championships in Milan with a record-breaking performance. Rana also equaled the world record in the 25 meter center fire pistol event during the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
Input: PTI
