WELCOME BACK JASPAL RANA to coach Manu Bhaker ! NRAI coach Karmakar resigns citing toxic environment within shooting team

The renowned gold medalist in the Asian and Commonwealth Games in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 bringing laurels for the nation and thereafter being a shooting coach Padma Shree and Dronacharya awardee Jaspal Rana is back on the shooting range to personally coach Manu Bhaker.

Jaspal Rana invited criticism by the then National Rifle Association of India president Reminder Singh when the Indian Shooters have shown dismally in the Tokyo Olympics in 2019. There were public accusations and counter accusations between Jaspal’s one time trained outstanding Olympian shooter and winner of two ISSF Golds Manu Bhaker and her coach Jaspal Rana with even the former’s mother trading charges against him. Jaspal Rana had then said that those running and representing the shooting sport in the country should stop manipulating and blaming others. After a long gap however the former junior international coach Rana is back with renewed vigour and vitality to help support, train and guide shooting Olympian Bhaker.

What is interesting to note that while there is beeline of some coaches exiting , the international celebrated coach Rana is back to help, train and guide Manu Bhakar her previous precious disciple and shooting olympian.

There were reports that the main reason for Manu Bhaker falling apart from Jaspal Rana was the latter’s insistence for selection of Chinki Yadav in the 25 metres event in Tokyo Olympics instead of her revealed news reports then. She had complained against Rana for not training her adequately to NRAI president Raninder Singh who deputed another coach Raunak Pandit to train her fully for Tokyo Olympics 25 metres shooting.

After lot of public vocal bickerings between Raninder Singh, chief of the National Rifles association of India and Manu Bhaker verses Jaspal Rana, the latter was too demoralised for having been treated like this having contributed in shooting at the international scenario bringing so many Gold medals for the country. Now he is back again with Jaspal Rana saying he wasn’t away and is always available for imparting training and know how to the shooters.

A shooter with high spirits always and wholehearted dedication towards shooting – iconic Jaspal Rana who has dedicated his entire life for upgrading shooting and helping the Junior shooters when asked as to how he feels after his return and Manu Bhaker back with him, he retorts : It does not matter who takes the lead or calls first , the idea and commitment is to help and bring the name if our nation on the top with flying colours. She ( Manu Bakar) had received guidance, training and support in shooting from me. Why would I and how can I turn my back on her said Dronacharya and Padma Shree recipient Jaspal Rana who I think am proud of.

Meanwhile, a leading shooting coach Jaideep Karmakar, a 2012 London Olympics appointed as national coach of NRAI in 2022 for the period of three years has resigned citing reason as toxic environment existing within the India shooting team.

According to news reports this is the third time that a national coach of the shooting team has, resigned due to delays in renewal of contracts and disagreements with the with the new director of the team Pierre Beauchamp. Welcome Jaspal Rana !

Meanwhile Sriniwasan Kanan , of content quality lead at First sportz.com tweeted :

So, the Dronacharya and his shishya are back in tandem. Nearly two years after muck racking and mud throwing, further accelerated by former NRAI President Raninder Singh, Jaspal is trying to help out Manu again. The NRAI and Madhya Pradesh academy sacked Jaspal in 2021. He kept quiet. Why and how the two are pairing up again, Jaspal and Manu, is no secret. She did approach him recently and the plan ahead is fluid. What is important is that the current set of coaches in the NRAI are useless. Worse, the foreign coaches are no better or the high performance director. Raninder is out, Kalikesh Singh Deo is interim President of NRAI. He will do well to see how much wrong is going on in Indian shooting. After all, the government can spend money in crores, the NRAI needs to be accountable, really. The Asian Games, World Championship and 2024 Paris Olympics are not far. One should not be surprised if Sourabh Chaudhary also knocks on Jaspal’s doors. Keep watching this space!

pic.grabbwd from Sriniwasan’s, Twitter handle