Aichi-Nagoya: Ten days before the Asian Games, Neeru Dhanda was in a hospital bed in Delhi. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old shooter stood on the top step of the podium in Nagoya, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting and setting a new Asian Games record in the process.
Dhanda scored 28 in the eight-shooter final, missing only two targets to finish ahead of China’s Yunong Sun, who scored 26. The performance broke the previous Asian record of 24 and delivered India its fifth gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.
The medal came after a difficult build-up that could easily have kept her out of the competition. According to her coach Peter Wilson, Dhanda had been hospitalised for three days in Delhi about 10 days before her Asian Games campaign after falling seriously ill. She had also gone several weeks without proper training.
That interruption was particularly difficult for a shooter preparing for a major international competition. Trap shooting demands repetition and consistency, with athletes required to read the target, control their movement and timing, and maintain concentration across a long competition. Dhanda arrived in Japan without the preparation she had expected, but once the competition began she stayed in contention through the qualification rounds and entered the final among the leading shooters.
Earlier on Tuesday, she had already 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 China’s 346 and ahead of Kuwait’s 325. Dhanda herself produced India’s strongest individual score in the qualification, hitting 118 of 125 targets.
The individual final produced an even bigger result. Dhanda maintained her composure in difficult weather conditions at the shooting range and finished with 28 successful hits. Her gold came only hours after the team silver, turning a demanding day into the biggest result of her career.
The achievement also has a longer history behind it. Dhanda is from Haryana’s Jind district and was inspired by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won a silver medal in men’s trap at the 2018 Asian Games. Sheoran’s influence was important in her entry into the sport, and he also gave her his gun when she began training.
Her progress has accelerated over the past two years. Dhanda became the first Ind
