Manu Bhaker calls Jaspal Rana”s death an ”irreparable loss”

India's shooting fraternity is mourning the untimely demise of legendary pistol shooter and coach Jaspal Rana, who passed away at 49. His star pupil, double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, described his sudden death as an "irreparable loss."

New Delhi: Ace Indian shooter Manu Bhaker on Saturday described the death of her mentor Jaspal Rana as an “irreparable loss”, as the country’s shooting fraternity mourned the untimely demise of one of the sport’s most revered icons.

Rana, one of India’s finest pistol shooters who successfully transitioned into coaching, guided Manu to her historic twin bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He died at the age of 49 after battling cardiac complications.

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Rana was serving as the high-performance coach of the Indian pistol team at the time of his death.

His illustrious competitive career spanned more than 15 years, with the crowning achievement coming at the 2006 Asian Games, where he produced a sensational haul of three gold medals and a silver, while also equalling the then world record.

In a brief two-word post in Hindi on social media, Manu shared three photographs of herself with Jaspal and wrote, “Apurniya Kshati” (irreparable loss).

Manu, who is currently in Dehradun attending the national camp, was also present when Rana’s mortal remains were brought to the city. On Friday evening, she was seen sitting alongside his father, N.S. Rana, and other family members.