Indian sports lost one of its most decorated servants on Thursday night as shooting coach and multiple Asian Games gold medal winner Jaspal Rana died due to a heart problem. Rana, who was also the coach of double Olympic medal-winner Manu Bhaker, died at a mere 49 years of age after battling cardiac complications. As the news of Rana’s death emerged, his Instagram bio came to the fore, leaving fans stunned by how much Rana was in sync with the reality of life. His Instagram bio became a major talking point on social media as fans and the sporting fraternity mourned his passing.
Rana’s Instagram bio read: “Jab mrityu nishchit ho, swayam ko achhe kaaran ke liye samarpit karna sarvottam hai (When death is certain, it is best to dedicate oneself to a good cause).”
In his own way, Rana highlighted that since death is an absolute certainty, wasting our limited time on trivial pursuits is meaningless. The most honourable way to live is to dedicate our lives to a noble cause that helps others and creates a lasting legacy.
The shooting coach is survived by his wife, Reena Rana, daughter Devanshi, son Yuvraj, father Narayan Singh Rana, and his two siblings, Sushma Singh and Subhash Rana. According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night. Sources said he died of complications related to the heart.
He recently underwent a medical procedure after falling ill during the Indian contingent’s return flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. Upon landing in New Delhi, he was immediately hospitalised and had a stent installed to clear a cardiac blockage. According to sources, despite initial reports of him being stable, his condition deteriorated.
Rana was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters. The former shooter, who was considered a maverick in Indian shooting circles for his outspoken demeanour and passion for the sport, was a prodigal talent and won his first national-level gold at just 12 years of age.
His international breakthroughs were the 25m gold medals at the 1994 Commonwealth and Asian Games.
In fact, the Asiad gold was India’s first in 16 years after Raja Randhir Singh opened the account in 1978. Randhir had passed away recently after battling age-related ailments.
Rana’s biggest moment as a shooter came in the 2006 Asian Games when he snared three gold medals and a silver in a sensational performance that included equalling the world record at the time.
With PTI Inputs
