Shooter Jaspal Rana 'truly deserves' Dronacharya Award, says NRAI chief Raninder Singh

Jaspal Rana, a multiple medallist at top international events, is the coach who groomed teen shooting sensations such as Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala who went to bag several medals at the world stage.

Press Trust of India August 24, 2019 14:39:27 IST
Shooter Jaspal Rana 'truly deserves' Dronacharya Award, says NRAI chief Raninder Singh
  • Despite his telling contribution in moulding the the next generation of shooters, Rana was snubbed for the Dronacharya Award second time in a row.

  • Rana had groomed the likes of Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala

  • Rana has been holding the Indian junior coach's position for the past seven years and tasted plenty of success too

New Delhi: National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Raninder Singh on Friday said Jaspal Rana, the man behind the remarkable rise of the country's young shooters in recent years, "truly deserves" the Dronacharya Award.

Shooter Jaspal Rana truly deserves Dronacharya Award says NRAI chief Raninder Singh

File image of Jaspal Rana. Image courtesy: Twitter/@jaspalrana2806

Rana, a multiple medallist at top international events, is the coach who groomed teen shooting sensations such as Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala who went to bag several medals at the world stage.

However, despite his telling contribution in moulding the the next generation of shooters, Rana was snubbed for the Dronacharya Award second time in a row.

"Finally sir! I've been sending his name 3 years in a row. Closed minds and I believe the term is Polk Barrel (Pork Barrel). Anything I can do I am a call away. Merit in sport also extends to Coaches & Officials so long as they work and produce the results. Jaspal truly deserves this," Raninder tweeted.

Rana's exclusion from the list of nominees for the 2019 National Sports Award snowballed into a big controversy after the committee that includes former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia and athlete Anju Bobby George gave different reasons for why the Asian Games gold medallist did not make the cut.

The 43-year-old Rana's exclusion was also questioned by the country's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra. Rana has been holding the Indian junior coach's position for the past seven years and tasted plenty of success too, with his wards winning medals at top events such as the ISSF World Cup, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Dronacharya Awards are given to honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams and enabled them to achieve outstanding results in international competitions.

Updated Date:

also read

Gun violence: Why Texas’ Winnie-the-Pooh book for kids has caused outrage
Explainers

Gun violence: Why Texas’ Winnie-the-Pooh book for kids has caused outrage

Some Texas schools have received flak for using beloved cartoon Winnie-the-Pooh to teach children ways to stay safe in case of a school shooting. Parents and teachers have expressed concerns over the 'Stay Safe' book released ahead of the first anniversary of the Uvalde massacre

Bhowneesh Mendiratta moves to joint-lead on Day 1 of ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty
Sports

Bhowneesh Mendiratta moves to joint-lead on Day 1 of ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty

Mendiratta was tied with four others, which included among others double world and 2020 Tokyo Olympics mixed team trap champion Alberto Fernandez of Spain.

ISSF World Cup: Ganemat Sekhon wins women's skeet silver while Darshna Rathore collects bronze in Almaty
Sports

ISSF World Cup: Ganemat Sekhon wins women's skeet silver while Darshna Rathore collects bronze in Almaty

It was Ganemat's second individual world cup medal and a first-ever for Darshna who appeared in her maiden senior final.