Gagan Narang pays heartfelt tribute to Jaspal Rana, says Indian shooting stands on his shoulders
Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang paid an emotional tribute to Jaspal Rana, recalling the legendary shooter’s influence on generations of athletes. Narang said Rana inspired countless shooters and left behind a legacy that continues to shape Indian shooting.
Hyderabad: London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang mourned the demise of shooting great Jaspal Rana on Friday.
“Some losses do not feel real even as you type them,” he posted on his Instagram handle.
“When I walked into a shooting range for the first time, Jaspal bhai was already the name every one of us whispered with awe. Hiroshima 1994 had happened. A teenager had shown the whole country that an Indian could rule this sport. We did not just admire him. We measured ourselves against him,” Gagan recalled.
“Years later, life gave me something that kid could never have imagined. I got to wear the same India colours . Same team rooms, same ranges, same flag. And then I watched him give everything back as a coach, building champions with the same fire he once shot with. Manu’s two medals in Paris carried his belief in every shot,” a deeply distressed Gagan posted..
“15 Commonwealth Games medals. Asian Games gold. A world record in Doha. But his real legacy is the generations of us who first dreamed.,” Gagan stated.
“Indian shooting stands on his shoulders. It always will,” Gagan signed off.
