Manu Bhaker pays tribute to her late coach Jaspal Rana at his residence in Dehradun. | Photo Credit: PTI

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 passing of one of the sport’s most revered figures.

Rana, one of India’s greatest pistol shooters who later became a highly successful coach, guided Manu to her historic two bronze medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He died at the age of 49 following cardiac complications.

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

His distinguished competitive career spanned more than 15 years, highlighted by a remarkable performance at the 2006 Asian Games, where he won three gold medals and a silver while equalling the then world record.

In a brief social media post, Manu shared three photographs with her mentor and wrote in Hindi: “Apurniya Kshati” (irreparable loss).

Manu, who is currently attending the national camp in Dehradun, was also present when Rana’s mortal remains were brought to the city. On Friday evening, she was seen alongside Jaspal’s father, N.S. Rana, and other family members, paying her respects to the man who played a pivotal role in shaping her career.

Published on Jun 13, 2026