Uttarakhand CM Pays Tribute to Legendary Shooter Jaspal Rana

Final Farewell to a Sporting Icon

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, visited the home of Jaspal Rana in Dehradun to pay his respects to the renowned pistol shooter and national coach. Rana passed away at the age of 49 at Max Hospital in Delhi earlier on Friday. His body was later brought to his residence in Pondha, Dehradun.

Condolences from the Chief Minister

During his visit, CM Dhami offered floral tributes and expressed his condolences to Rana's grieving family, standing in solidarity with them during this challenging time. He shared his sorrow with reporters, highlighting Rana's significant contributions as both a shooter and a coach, which brought numerous medals and pride to the nation. Dhami described Rana's death as an irreparable loss, noting their personal friendship and praying for strength for his family and supporters.

A Lasting Impact on Indian Sports

Rana's legacy includes the establishment of a shooting range in Pondha, which serves as a training hub for aspiring shooters and sports enthusiasts.

An Acclaimed Shooting Career

Jaspal Rana is celebrated as one of India's most accomplished shooters, with a career spanning over three decades. He holds the record for the most medals won by an Indian athlete at the Commonwealth Games, totaling 15 medals—nine gold, four silver, and two bronze—across the 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006 events.

His accolades extend beyond the Commonwealth Games, including four golds and one silver at the Asian Games, with a notable gold at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and three golds at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Rana also made history at the 1994 World Shooting Championships in Milan, where he won gold and set a record score. He equaled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event with a score of 590 during the 2006 Asian Games. His determination was evident when he won three gold medals in Doha while battling a high fever, a remarkable achievement in Indian shooting.

A Respected Coach and Mentor

After retiring from competitive shooting, Rana dedicated himself to coaching and developing talent. As a junior national coach, he played a pivotal role in nurturing future stars like Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary.

Despite a public disagreement with Bhaker prior to the Tokyo Olympics, they reconciled, with Rana significantly contributing to her success, which included two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the time of his passing, he was serving as India's high-performance coach for pistol events, leaving a lasting influence on Indian sports.