Nagoya, September 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Neeru Dhanda scripted a historic chapter in Indian shooting on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games medal in trap and the first to claim gold in the event.
The 26-year-old shooter produced a composed performance in the women’s trap individual final at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery, finishing with 28 hits to set a new Asian record. China’s Sun Yunong won silver with 26, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik took bronze with 21.
Neeru trains at Dr KSSR in New Delhi and is part of the Indian Army Marksmanship Unit, where she serves as a Naib Subedar. She first represented India at the 2022 ISSF World Championship in Osijek and has since established herself on the international shooting circuit.
Her breakthrough came at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship, where she won the women’s trap title. Earlier this year, she created another landmark by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold in women’s trap at the Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy. She also won a mixed-team bronze at the World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Neeru’s Asian Games final highlighted her ability to recover from setbacks. After a clean start, she missed once in her second series and briefly slipped behind her rivals. She responded with two successive perfect series and reached the halfway stage with 19 hits from 20 targets.
She then maintained her lead through the closing stages and sealed the gold with a composed final series.
The victory has a personal connection as well. Neeru took up shooting after being inspired by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won a silver medal in men’s trap at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Seven years later, Neeru has gone one step further by winning Asian Games gold.
Her triumph also marks an important moment for Indian trap shooting, a discipline in which the country has traditionally had less success than in rifle and pistol events.
Earlier in the Aichi-Nagoya Games, Neeru had helped India win silver in the women’s trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. She then returned to the range and delivered the performance that secured her place in Asian Games history.
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