New Delhi, Jun 12: Jaspal Rana, the coach of ace Indian shooter Manu Bhaker, has died at the age of 49. Jaspal was admitted to Delhi’s Max Hospital, where he breathed his last.
Jaspal passed away in the hospital, where he had recently undergone stent surgery. Jaspal had experienced chest pain and discomfort during the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany, and faced a similar issue during his return flight to India.
He was immediately admitted to the hospital upon landing. According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana died at the hospital on Thursday night.
After doctors examined his condition, a stent was put in place to clear a cardiac blockage. A second stent procedure was expected to be carried out a few days later. It was reported that Jaspal was stable and recovering before the news of his death emerged.
“He (Jaspal) experienced chest pain and discomfort during the ISSF World Cup in Munich, which he initially mistook for acidity, and continued with his travel plans.
However, the discomfort returned during the journey back to India, prompting immediate medical attention upon his arrival in Delhi,” his brother, Subash Rana, had told the media after his admission to the hospital a few days ago.
Jaspal, a shooting legend and national coach, has been widely credited as the man behind Manu Bhaker’s rise in the sport. It was under Rana’s guidance that Bhaker won two medals for India at the Paris Olympic Games.
He is one of the most successful Indian athletes in the history of the Commonwealth Games, dominating across four editions (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006). His most famous performance for India came at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where he won three gold medals and equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol.
Jaspal also won a gold medal at the 1994 Milan World Championship in the junior category with a world-record score, announcing his arrival on the global stage at just 18 years old.
