Nagoya, Sep 29 (IANS): For Neeru Dhanda, the road to Asian Games gold has been built one target at a time. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old Indian shooter finally had a medal around her neck that had eluded every Indian female trap shooter before her.
Neeru produced a commanding performance in the women’s trap individual final in Aichi-Nagoya, finishing with 28 hits to win gold and set a new Asian record. China’s Sun Yunong claimed silver with 26, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik took bronze on 21.
Neeru, who trains at Dr KSSR in New Delhi and is part of the Indian Army Marksmanship Unit as a Naib Subedar, first represented India at the 2022 ISSF World Championship in Osijek. Since then, she has established herself as a regular contender on the international circuit.
She won the women’s trap title at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship before producing the biggest breakthrough of her career earlier this year. At the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, Neeru became the first Indian woman to win an individual World Cup gold in women’s trap. She also earned a mixed-team bronze at the World Cup in Almaty.
The Asiad result marked the first time an Indian woman had won an Asian Games medal in the individual trap event. It also added another milestone to a year that has already transformed Neeru’s standing in international shooting.
Her final was a lesson in recovering from setbacks without allowing them to grow. After a clean opening run, Neeru missed once in her second series and briefly slipped behind Sun and Abdulmalik. Instead of letting the error disrupt her rhythm, she responded with two successive perfect series.
At the halfway stage, she had struck 19 of 20 targets and opened a two-hit advantage over her nearest challengers. By the time she reached the final five shots, the gold was firmly within her grasp. Neeru kept her composure to finish on 28 and complete a performance that had been in her control for much of the contest.
The victory is the latest landmark in a rapid rise for the shooter from Jind, Haryana.
Her Asian Games triumph carries another personal connection. Neeru took up shooting after being inspired by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won silver in men’s trap at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Seven years later, she has gone one better.
India has historically enjoyed greater success in rifle and pistol events than in shotgun disciplines. Neeru’s gold therefore represents both a personal breakthrough and a significant moment for Indian trap shooting.
After helping India win team silver earlier in these Games, Neeru returned to the range and delivered the performance that mattered most. This time, there was no one left to chase. Neeru was the target everyone else was trying to hit.
