Maverick Jaspal: The Man Who Changed Indian Shooting

He was just 17 when he announced himself to the world. In 1994, Jaspal Rana won Junior World Championship gold in the 25m Standard Pistol. It was the beginning of a remarkable journey that would take him to the pinnacle of shooting and, later, make him one of the most influential coaches in Indian sport. But the medals tell only part of the story. Jaspal Rana was a phenomenon. Fiercely competitive, uncompromising and impossible to ignore, he inspired a generation of young shooters to believe that they too could make it to the world stage, regardless of where they came from. He won championships, challenged conventions, fought battles and created champions of his own. On 12 June 2026, his journey came to an abrupt end. For S. Kannan and G. Rajaraman, however, Jaspal's story began long before his final chapter. For more than three decades, the two senior journalists witnessed his rise, his triumphs, his struggles and his evolution from a prodigy to a legendary coach. Behind the champion was a complex man: fiercely loyal, deeply passionate, often controversial and always authentic. This book brings the man behind the legend back to life. The champion who never knew how to surrender. The coach who forged champions. The force of will that changed Indian shooting forever. Why This Book? What made Jaspal Rana so fiercely driven—and so difficult to ignore? What lay behind the swagger, the success and the uncompromising personality? What happens when a champion turns his instinct to win towards creating champions? The victories everyone remembers—and the battles that made them possible. The story behind the public persona of one of Indian sport's most compelling figures. The man behind the medals—and the personality that made him impossible to forget. Read more