The demise of renowned shooter and former Olympian Jaspal Rana has sent a wave of mourning throughout Uttarakhand. Rana, mentor to fellow Olympian medalist Manu Bhaker, was a native of Uttarakhand.
When the National Rifle Association of India broke the news of Jaspal Rana’s demise it cast a pall of gloom over the Himalayan state. Political leaders across party lines expressed condolences and shared Rana’s contribution to the country and the state.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over his passing. saying, “Jaspal Rana, through his unique talent, hard work and distinguishing achievements brought glory not only to Uttarakhand but to the entire country globally. His contribution to Indian shooting sports will remain unforgettable. He inspired numerous young athletes and guided them to achieve excellence in sports.”
The Chief Minister added that “the demise of Jaspal Rana is an irreparable loss to the international sporting world, Uttarakhand and the nation.”
Rana, a resident of Chilamu village in the Tehri district, served as a ‘High-Performance Coach’ for India’s pistol shooters. He felt uneasy while returning to India from the ISSF World Cup in Munich and was immediately hospitalised at Max Hospital in Delhi.
He underwent stent installation surgery inside a blocked vein. However, the former Olympic gold medalist succumbed to a second heart attack suffered immediately after recovering from the first.
It’s notable that Jaspal Rana, who stunned the world with a world record performance at the age of 18 in the Commonwealth and Asian Games always kept India’s flag high.
“The news of the untimely demise of the son of Devbhoomi and Dronacharya Awardee Jaspal Rana was extremely tragic and shocking. It has created a void for the entire sports world and Uttarakhand that can never be filled. He raised the country’s honour on global stages and chiseled incredible sporting talents like Manu Bhaker. His guidance will always be recorded in golden letters in history” said state sports minister Rekha Arya.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat said, “The news of the untimely demise of Jaspal Rana Ji, pride of Uttarakhand, internationally renowned shooter and outstanding coach was extremely tragic and shocking. His contribution to the sports world will remain unforgettable. By winning a gold medal at the 1994 Asian Games, as well as through his achievements at the Commonwealth Games and on the global stage, he brought honour to India and inspired a new generation of players as coach. Jaspal, you will always remain in people’s hearts.”
“Jaspal Rana’s demise has come as a big shock to the nation and the sporting world. He brought laurels to the nation when we struggled to register our presence on global sporting platforms. Nation will never forget Jaspal Rana’s contributions both, as sports person and mentor of the future shooters in the country,” said senior party leader and Congress legislator Pritam Singh.
One can never forget his three gold medals and world record at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Rana was considered India’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth history with 15 medals including nine gold, four silver and two bronze across four editions 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. He won four gold medals with India’s first Asiad gold in 16 years at the 1994 Hiroshima games.
Besides sports Jaspal Rana had a stint in politics. He contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from the Tehri Garhwal parliamentary constituency on BJP ticket, but lost. In the 2012 assembly elections was a star campaigner for the Congress party.