PM Narendra Modi Mourns Death Of Jaspal Rana: 'Profound Loss To Indian Sports'

Last Updated:June 12, 2026, 10:37 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourns shooting legend Jaspal Rana, who died after falling ill returning from the ISSF World Cup.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana on Friday (January 12), terming it a ‘profound loss’ to Indian sports. The PM noted Rana’s achievements, both as an athlete and a coach, and offered support to his close ones and the sporting fraternity.

Asian Games gold medalist and Dronacharya Award winner, Rana faced discomfort while returning with the Indian shooting contingent from the ISSF World Cup in Munich. He was hospitalised immediately after landing in Delhi and breathed his last in the hospital on Thursday night.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Jaspal Rana Ji," PM Modi wrote on X. “His passing is a profound loss to the world of Indian sports. He brought immense glory to the nation through his extraordinary achievements in shooting. Equally remarkable was his contribution as a mentor, shaping and guiding young athletes with great dedication. His unwavering commitment to excellence, discipline and service to the sporting world earned him immense admiration. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire sporting fraternity in this hour of grief. Om Shanti."

Rana emerged as one of India’s greatest shooters after winning his first national medal at just 12 years old. Specialising in pistol events, he dominated the sport through the 1990s and 2000s, winning 15 Commonwealth Games medals, including nine golds, and eight Asian Games medals, four of them gold

His finest competitive achievement came at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, where he equalled the world record in the men’s centre-fire pistol event.

Honoured with the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri, Rana later transitioned into coaching and played a pivotal role in shaping India’s next generation of shooters. As national junior pistol coach, he mentored stars such as Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala. His most notable contribution came through his work with Manu Bhaker, helping guide her to two historic bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Recognising his coaching excellence, he received the Dronacharya Award in 2020 and was appointed NRAI’s high-performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in 2025.

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