Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana breathed his last at the age of 49 on Friday morning at Max Hospital, Saket in the national capital. The news sent shockwaves through the Indian shooting community, particularly affecting his star pupil Manu Bhaker, who left a national training camp competition midway upon learning of her coach’s demise.

According to officials, Rana had fallen ill on a flight while returning from Munich on the night of June 1. He received initial medical attention abroad but was admitted to the Delhi hospital upon arrival, where doctors inserted a stent following cardiac evaluations. National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan confirmed the passing.

Sudden Health Setback  

Rana reportedly experienced chest pain during the ISSF World Cup in Munich, initially dismissing it as acidity. His brother Subhash Rana told reporters that the discomfort intensified on the journey back, leading to immediate hospitalisation in Delhi. Despite medical intervention, the veteran coach could not recover.

Manu Bhaker’s Emotional Exit  

The tragedy hit hardest for Tokyo and Paris Olympian Manu Bhaker, who was competing in the 25-metre pistol event at the national training camp in Dehradun. Family members said they delayed informing her for several hours as she was mid-competition. Around 10 AM, when told of Rana’s death, Bhaker’s pistol reportedly slipped from her hand. She stood motionless for moments before sitting on the ground, visibly distraught, and abandoned the match. She has since postponed all her sporting commitments to travel directly from Dehradun to pay her final respects.

Bhaker won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics under Rana’s guidance as India’s high-performance coach for the 25m pistol event, a role he had held since February 2025.

Illustrious Career as Competitor  

Before transitioning to coaching, Rana carved out one of the most decorated careers in Indian shooting history. He secured eight medals at the Asian Games, including four golds, two silvers, and two bronzes. At the Commonwealth Games, he won 15 medals across four editions (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006), with nine of them gold.

His standout moment came at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, where he clinched three gold medals and equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol. Even earlier, at just 18, he announced his arrival by winning gold at the 1994 Milan World Shooting Championship in the junior category with a world-record score, despite competing in severe pain from a knee abscess that had burst the previous night. That same year, he also earned a gold at the Hiroshima Asian Games and received the Arjuna Award.

Inspired by Father, Early Start  

Rana’s journey into shooting began at the age of ten, inspired by his father Narayan Singh Rana, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel. He started practising with both pistol and rifle but later specialised in pistol events. By age 11-12, he was already competing at state and national levels, winning a silver medal at the 31st National Shooting Championship in Ahmedabad at just 12 years old.

Tributes Pour In  

Leaders and sporting icons expressed profound grief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a condolence message on X. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tribute in Hindi. Former cricketer and current Indian cricket coach Gautam Gambhir called Rana a “stalwart of Indian Sports” whose passing left a “huge void.” 

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra described him as a teammate who helped shape Indian shooting. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge termed him “a towering figure in Indian sport and one of our greatest shooting champions.”

Legacy Beyond Medals  

Beyond his personal achievements, Rana made a lasting impact as a junior team coach and high-performance trainer. His guidance helped elevate India’s pistol shooting standards on the global stage, with Manu Bhaker’s Paris success standing as recent testimony to his methods.

The Indian shooting fraternity now mourns not just a champion athlete but a mentor who bridged generations. As tributes continue to flow, Rana’s contributions are being remembered as foundational to the country’s rising stature in the sport.

Supreme Court allows Vinesh Phogat to compete in Delhi trials on May 30–31, granting relief after WFI's petition — primary keyword: Vinesh Phogat

The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared an immediate path for Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat to take part in the Asian Games selection trials scheduled in Delhi on May 30–31, rejecting a last-minute petition by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) that sought to block her participation.

Bench decision, timeline
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed WFI’s petition against a Delhi High Court order that had allowed Phogat to compete. The High Court’s direction, issued on May 22, required that the entire trial be video recorded and supervised by independent observers appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

WFI had approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court granted interim relief to Vinesh. The federation argued Phogat’s participation violated its rules on athletes returning from retirement, but the apex court refused to stay the high court order, effectively permitting her to enter the trials.

High-stakes selection
The Delhi trials on Saturday and Sunday will form the basis for final team selection for the Asian Games in Japan in September. Officials said selectors will evaluate performance across the two days and forward names to the IOA. With the Supreme Court’s clearance, Phogat is now eligible to contest in the 50kg category trials, according to sources familiar with the matter.

WFI's stance
WFI had earlier disqualified Phogat from domestic competitions until June 26, 2026, citing anti-doping provisions and the federation’s rule that athletes returning from retirement must give six months’ notice. The federation also issued a show-cause notice accusing Phogat of indiscipline and conduct that, it said, harmed the image of Indian wrestling.

In its petition to the Supreme Court, WFI argued the Delhi High Court order undermined federation governance and the application of UWW (United World Wrestling) rules. WFI officials declined comment outside court but had maintained their position that policy and process must be followed uniformly.

Phogat’s response, background
Vinesh Phogat, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a 2024 Paris Olympian, had announced her retirement after a controversial disqualification at the Paris Games but withdrew that decision in December 2025, saying she aimed for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Phogat has been off the mat for roughly 18 months before ramping up training. She travelled to Gonda recently to take part in a National Ranking Tournament and posted videos alleging bias and mismanagement in domestic wrestling events. In earlier public statements, she accused former WFI president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and criticised the federation’s handling of competitions and refereeing — allegations that have been part of a broader controversy in Indian wrestling since 2023.

Legal and procedural safeguards
The Delhi High Court’s order emphasised transparency measures: continuous video recording of trials and oversight by SAI and IOA-appointed independent observers. The measures were intended to allay concerns raised by both sides about fairness and to ensure selections are based on performance rather than influence, a court official said.

Impact on team dynamics
Phogat’s participation has drawn attention within the wrestling fraternity and from political quarters: she is also a Congress MLA from Julana in Haryana. Selectors now face a sensitive task balancing legal directives, federation rules and on-ground performance. Coaches and rival athletes have expressed mixed reactions in private, with some welcoming the clarity and others cautioning about potential locker-room tensions ahead of the Asian Games.

What happens next
Trials will proceed in Delhi on May 30–31 under the supervision specified by the High Court. The SAI and IOA are expected to finalise observer appointments and confirm technical protocols later Friday, according to officials briefed on logistics. If Phogat performs to selectors’ expectations, she could be named in the Asian Games contingent to compete in Japan in September.

Legal avenues remain open for WFI to pursue its broader challenge on federation rules, but any further stay on these specific trials would require another urgent intervention — a step WFI did not take successfully before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Randhir Singh, who won India’s first-ever shooting gold at the Asian Games and later rose to become the first Indian President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), passed away on Wednesday. He was 79.

According to family members, Singh had been battling age-related health complications for some time. He had recently resigned from the OCA top post citing health reasons after being elected for a four-year term in 2024.

Trailblazer in Indian shooting

Singh etched his name in Indian sports history at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games when he clinched gold in the trap shooting event. This remained a landmark achievement for Indian shooting for years. He followed it up with a bronze medal at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and a silver in 1986.

A five-time Olympian, Singh represented the country at the Olympics between the 1970s and 1990s. He also competed in the 1978 Commonwealth Games. For his contributions, he was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1979.

Deep roots in sports and administration

Beyond the field, Singh played a significant role in sports governance. He served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). His leadership extended to the continental level when he became the first Indian to head the Olympic Council of Asia.

Rajiv Bhatia, Secretary of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), expressed deep sorrow over the loss. “Randhir Singh was among the most respected personalities in sports administration. He made immense contributions to the development of shooting and the Olympic movement in the country,” Bhatia said.

Sporting family legacy

Singh hailed from a family with a rich sporting tradition. His uncle, Maharaja Yadvindra Singh, had played Test cricket for India and was also a member of the IOC. His father, Bhalindra Singh, was a first-class cricketer and served as an IOC member from 1947 to 1992.

The legacy continues in the next generation. Singh is survived by his wife Vinita and three daughters — Mahima, Sunaina, and Rajeshwari. Rajeshwari, a trap shooter herself, won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games. Sunaina has served as Vice President of the IOA.

Family members recalled how Singh remained closely involved in supporting his daughter’s shooting career. A photograph from 2022 showing Rajeshwari with her father after her Asian Games medal win had been widely shared.

Tributes pour in

News of his passing triggered condolences from across the Indian sporting fraternity. Many remembered him not just as a champion shooter but as a bridge between athletes and administrators during crucial phases of Indian sport’s growth.

His tenure at the OCA was seen as a significant milestone for Indian representation in Asian Olympic affairs. Though his health forced him to step down earlier than expected, his election itself was celebrated as recognition of India’s growing stature in Olympic governance.

End of an era

With Singh’s demise, Indian shooting loses one of its foundational figures who helped lay the groundwork for the sport’s later successes, including the medals won by later generations of shooters at global events.

As tributes continue to flow in, the focus now shifts to honouring his contributions through memorials and continued development of shooting infrastructure, an area he passionately advocated for throughout his career.

Singh’s journey from a medal-winning athlete in the 1970s to a key figure in Olympic administration spanning over four decades mirrors the evolution of Indian sport itself — from sporadic successes to structured institutional growth.

Vinesh Phogat Ends 20-Month Hiatus with Return to Competitive Wrestling  

Wrestler set to compete in 57kg category at National Open Ranking Tournament after registration delay blamed on ‘technical issue’

Comeback Trail Begins in Gonda

Vinesh Phogat will step back onto the mat after nearly 20 months, marking her first competitive appearance since the Paris Olympics. The wrestler confirmed her registration for the National Open Ranking Tournament in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled in Gonda from May 10 to 12.

She will compete in the 57kg category, a shift from the 50kg weight class where she faced disqualification at the Paris Games last year.

Registration Delay Sparks Fresh Tension

The return, however, did not come without a glitch. On Tuesday morning, Vinesh posted on X saying her registration had been completed only after the link was closed the previous day. She thanked supporters but stopped short of naming anyone, though she had earlier alleged that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was creating hurdles.

“My registration was completed this morning. I could not register yesterday because the link was closed. Thank you to everyone for your support,” she wrote.

WFI Cites Portal Glitch

Responding to the delay, WFI officials said a technical issue had affected multiple wrestlers’ entries, not just Vinesh’s. The federation claimed her registration was actually finalised on Monday night at 10:29 PM, while Vinesh’s social media post came on Tuesday morning.

“The portal faced a temporary glitch. Once the link became active, all pending entries were processed,” a federation source explained. The clarification did little to erase the underlying friction between the wrestler and the governing body, which has persisted since last year’s protests and elections.

Paris Heartbreak Still Fresh

Vinesh had entered the Paris Olympics 2024 as a strong medal contender in 50kg freestyle. She reached the final but was disqualified before the title bout after weighing in 100 grams over the limit. The disqualification, as per Olympic rules, left her without a medal.

Deeply affected, she announced her retirement on August 8. But by December 2024, she withdrew that decision, signalling her desire to compete again.

Eyes on Asian Games and LA 2028

Now 30, Vinesh is targeting the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Gonda tournament will serve as her first test of match fitness and mental readiness.

Off the mat, she has also taken on a political role, having been elected as an MLA from the Congress party in the Haryana Assembly elections held in late 2024. Balancing both arenas will be a new challenge.

Ground Realities in Gonda

Local authorities in Gonda expect heightened security and media attention during the May 10-12 event. For wrestling fans in Uttar Pradesh’s hinterland, Vinesh’s presence is a rare opportunity to watch an Olympic-level athlete up close.

“We are preparing for large crowds, especially on the days she competes,” a district sports officer said.

The tournament will also feature other national-level wrestlers, but Vinesh remains the headline act. Her performance here could determine how quickly she regains selection for international events later this year.