Name: Jaspal Rana
DOB: June 28, 1976
Discipline: Shooting
State: Uttarkhand
Achievement:
- Gold Medal in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima
- Gold medal in Men's 25m Centre Fire Pistol (Pairs) with Samaresh Jung at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Gold Medals in 25m Standard Pistol and 25m Center Fire Pistol at the 2006 Asian Games on 7-8th Dec 2006
- While winning the 25 m Center Fire Pistol event, Rana equalled the world record by aggregating 590 points
Awards:
In 1994, he was awarded Arjuna Award, at an age of eighteen.
By 21 he became PadamShree
He was awarded National Citizen award by none other than Mother Teresa.
Profile:
Jaspal Rana is an Indian shooter. He contested mainly in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol category. He was a gold medallist at the 1994 Asian Games, 2006 Commonwealth Games, and 2006 Asian Games. At present, Rana coaches at the Jaspal Rana Institute of Education and Technology in Dehradun.
Rana was born in a Rajput family in Uttarakhand. He was raised in Mussoorie, Dehradun, Nainbagh and later on in Delhi and studied at the K.V. Air Force Station Tughlkabad and St. Stephen's and Sri Aurobindo colleges. His first coach was his father Narayan Singh Rana, an ITBP official. Later on Tibor Ganazol coached him to perfection.
Rana made his national début at the age of 12, at the 31st National Shooting Championship at Ahmedabad and won a Silver Medal. He shot into Standard Pistol shooting fame when he won a gold at the 46th World Shooting Championship (Junior Section) with a world record score at Milan, Italy, in 1994.
Rana won most of his medals in the Centre Fire Pistol event, but has also won Air Pistol, Standard Pistol, Free Pistol and Rapid Fire Pistol events. He has won more than 600 Medals at the national and international levels.
At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, he equalled the world record in 25 m Center Fire Pistol with 590 points (he had made this score twice previously; in 1995 in Coimbatore, and in 1997 in Bangalore in the national competitions). The Indian Olympic Association sparked controversy when it announced that Rana would receive the 'Best Sportsperson' award at the Asian Games; but it was awarded to Korea's Tae Hwan Park. Rana was graceful about the goof-up.
Rana is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Shortly after the Asian Games, he indicated that he would be interested in contesting elections and campaigning for the party.
