PUNE: Jaspal Rana never shied away from two things: fearless shooting and straight talk. For more than three decades, he practiced both with remarkable consistency. At an age when any youngster would think of playing safe to build a career, Jaspal not only risked it all by challenging a system that wasn't athlete-friendly but also won medals and broke records to ensure his voice had substance.
A Life of Courage and Achievement
Jaspal, a name that brought shooting into prominence, defined a generation and personified courage. He died of a heart attack in the national capital on Friday, just 16 days short of his 50th birthday. He will be remembered not just for his medals or coaching credentials but for being the first to make everyone believe that Indian shooters could win international medals. The trailblazer of Indian shooting, known for standing up for athletes' rights even when such advocacy was rare, challenged the status quo and never feared questioning authorities with unapologetic directness.
He could be abrasive, stubborn, and controversial, yet even his strongest critics felt that if Jaspal picked a fight, it was usually over something that mattered to the athletes. In an era when silence was safer, confrontation became his preferred language. In Jaspal's case, it is no overstatement that the sport chose him, not the other way around.
Early Success and International Glory
A prodigy who shone at shooting ranges when kids his age were learning to balance on bicycles, Jaspal won silver at his first Nationals at age 12. The Uttarkashi-born shooter stood out by winning Asian Games gold at age 18 at Hiroshima 1994, nine Commonwealth Games gold medals, and six others. As the sport grew in India, he experienced a slump, but just as he was being written off, he stormed back with three gold medals and a silver, including a world record at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. That late streak became his closing statement as a shooter.
As Gagan Narang wrote on social media, “Some names you grow up chasing; this was one of them.” Jaspal made Indian shooters believe they could be like him: a winner, a rebel, and a pioneer who carved his own niche at a time when shooters were seen as mere travelers, not winners.
Coaching Legacy and Manu Bhaker
Lately, he could be spotted at shooting ranges sitting behind his wards, just looking at the targets and occasionally at the shooters. He rarely spoke to them during the process, often saying, “If you feel you could teach something new to the shooters at this stage, you would be a fool.” Since 2012, he was key in shaping the juniors development program of the National Rifle Association of India, identifying and training shooters like Manu Bhaker, Anish Bhanwala, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Chinki Yadav.
Though he participated in the 1996 Olympics in 10m air pistol and 50m pistol, Olympic glory eluded him as his chief event, center fire pistol, was not Olympic. His dream was realized spectacularly by his ward Manu at the Paris Games in 2024. His relationship with Manu was famously tempestuous, with ups and downs, but when they decided to bury the hatchet and reunite, it became a mission Jaspal pursued with almost ascetic zeal.
Not many agreed with his coaching style or personality, but Jaspal didn't care. He found a reflection of himself in Manu, and it wasn't surprising when they reunited in 2023 after a rift around the Tokyo Games. If Jaspal asked Manu to punch the wall, Manu would slam two. The chemistry and madness found a match, and with it, the two bronze medals in Paris became a logical high to a dramatic journey. He was a Dronacharya who would rather give his own thumb than ask his ward for one.
