Shooter Jaspal Rana passes away.
Indian shooting veteran shooter and national coach Jaspal Rana died suddenly of a heart attack in Delhi on June 12 at the age of 49. This incident that happened during sleep shocked the entire sports world. Jaspal Rana was not only an excellent player and coach, but he was also the most vocal, fearless and courageous voice of Indian shooting. He always raised his voice in times of need, challenged the flaws of the system and even risked his position in the interest of the players. From the 2017 GST campaign to matters related to selection policies, infrastructure and coaching – he fought vocally on every front, lived like a fighter.
Jaspal Rana His father Narayan Singh Rana was a former minister of Uttarakhand government and some close people often called him ‘Fighter’ with love and pride. Because he would definitely raise his voice against the things with which he did not agree, whether it was the rules related to sports organization or the policy of the government. There were many such cases when he raised his voice and it had an impact. But his great specialty was that whenever he took any decision, he did not care about the consequences. There are many such examples –
Boycott of British equipment over shooting being removed from CWG
It was the year 2022, when shooting events were excluded from the Commonwealth Games, then Jaspal Rana appealed to NRAI and Indian shooters to completely boycott shooting products made in England. He called it a tit-for-tat strategy so that international bodies accept India’s strength.
Protest against changing Olympic selection policies
Rana strongly criticized NRAI’s changing selection policies every six months. He said that last minute changes and trials ruin the future of young talents. He also raised questions on the system not supporting star shooters like Saurabh Chaudhary and Jitu Rai during their poor form.
Revolutionary campaign against GST
In 2017, when GST of up to 28% was imposed on imported shooting equipment, Jaspal Rana first raised his voice against it and called it a fatal blow to Olympic dreams. Raised the problem of players from poor background and led the entire campaign as Chairman of Delhi State Rifle Association.
Criticism of poor sports infrastructure
Rana often raised his voice regarding sports infrastructure, many times he demanded to improve the facilities provided by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Also, questions were raised on the low quality of physiotherapists, doctors and armourers. He had said that foreign teams get world-class facilities, while Indian shooters are over-achieving on the basis of raw talent and hard work.
He also expressed deep anger over the fact that when coaches or players demand better infrastructure or technical equipment, it takes months for government files and administrative approvals. He said that to prepare for a big tournament like the Olympics, world-class facilities should be provided immediately, and not makeshift systems.
Battle for Intermediate and Grassroots Shooters
As Junior National Coach, Jaspal Rana accused the corporate and media of only running after players who have won Olympic quota or medal. He demanded continued funding for back-benchers and budding hard-working shooters and said that without strong grassroots infrastructure, India can never become a self-reliant sporting power.
Firm stance on coaching autonomy
Rana clashed with sports organizations several times. He stressed that once the team is formed, the coach and players should get complete freedom. He described external interference (dictating training calendar or process) as detrimental to player development. Due to this principle, he was temporarily thrown out of the camp, but he never compromised on his principles. Jaspal Rana’s entire career was an example of rebel with a cause. He mirrored the system and always adopted a player-centric approach.
While returning from the Munich ISSF World Cup, he was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket on June 1 due to chest pain. After the stent was placed, his condition was said to be stable, but after staying in the hospital for 11 days, he died due to heart complications.
Also read- When Jaspal Rana became the voice of the players, the government accepted his words.
