AICHI-NAGOYA, SEPT 29: Indian shooter Neeru Dhanda scripted a new chapter in Indian shooting history on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in the women’s trap event at the Asian Games. Her landmark triumph at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was achieved with a superb score of 28 hits out of 30, which also established a new Asian record.
Dhanda displayed remarkable consistency and composure in a tense eight-shooter final. After beginning strongly, she recovered from a brief setback and regained control of the contest as the final progressed. Her composed performance under pressure saw her finish at the top of the standings with 28 hits. China’s Sun Yunong claimed silver with 26 hits, while Kuwait’s Abdulmalik Hajar won bronze with 21.
The gold marked another milestone in a remarkable year for the Haryana shooter. Earlier in the same Asian Games, Dhanda had helped India win silver in the women’s trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer.
The Indian trio finished with 328 points, behind gold-medallist China, which scored 346. Dhanda herself produced 118 hits out of 125 in qualification.
Her Asian Games triumph also follows a breakthrough performance at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, where she became the first Indian woman to win an individual World Cup gold in trap.
She had also won gold in women’s trap at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship, underlining her rise on the international shooting circuit.
Dhanda’s Asian Games gold carries added historical significance for Indian trap shooting. Randhir Singh had won India’s previous individual Asian Games trap gold in 1978, meaning Dhanda’s victory ended a 48-year wait for another Indian individual champion in the discipline.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Neeru Dhanda on her historic achievement, saying that she had given India a moment to celebrate.
He praised her accuracy and composure and said her accomplishment would encourage more young sportspersons to take up shooting and aim for the highest honours.
President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated Dhanda, describing the achievement as a moment of immense pride and noting that her performance had set a new Asian record.
Dhanda’s gold adds to India’s medal haul at the 2026 Asian Games and gives a major boost to the country’s shooting campaign.
More significantly, her achievement establishes a new benchmark for Indian women in trap shooting and places her among the country’s prominent recent performers on the international shooting stage.
