India Celebrates Historic Gold Medals in Shooting and Archery at Asian Games 2026

Historic Achievements at Asian Games 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the remarkable accomplishments of India's shooting pair, Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai, along with the women's compound archery team consisting of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, for clinching gold medals at the Asian Games 2026.

On Wednesday, the shooting duo of Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai triumphed in the mixed trap team event, setting a new Games record. This victory marks India's inaugural gold in the Trap Mixed Team category.

In the archery segment, the Indian women's compound team outperformed China with a score of 238-234, thereby winning the gold medal. Their performance matched the world record of 238 set by South Korea in 2014.

PM Modi Commends the Athletes

In a post on X, the official PMO India account congratulated the archers, stating, "A Gold for India! Congratulations to Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi for winning the Gold Medal in the Women’s Compound Team event at the Asian Games 2026. Their achievement is even more significant as it equals the World Record. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our archers. Best wishes to the entire team for their future endeavors: PM @narendramodi."

For Neeru and Kynan, PM Modi referred to their victory as a "memorable achievement for Indian shooting." He expressed, "Congratulations to Neeru and Kynan Chenai for securing the Gold in the Trap Mixed Team event at the 2026 Asian Games. The duo set an Asian Record in the Final, marking India's first-ever Asian Games Gold in this event. A memorable achievement for Indian shooting. Well done to both athletes! May they continue to shine in the future: PM @narendramodi."

Record-Breaking Performances

Neeru, who previously won the women's trap individual gold, along with Kynan, achieved a score of 34, surpassing the Asian Games record of 30 set by Qatar earlier this year. Qatar secured the silver medal with a score of 32, while China took home the bronze with 23 points. This victory is significant as it marks India's first gold in the Trap Mixed Team event.

Neeru's outstanding performance in the women's individual trap event on Tuesday was historic, as she became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting. She also set an Asian record during her Games debut in qualification, missing only two shots out of 30 to finish with a score of 28.

Earlier on the same day, Neeru, alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer, won a silver medal in the women's trap team event. India finished with 328 points, trailing behind gold medalists China (346), while Kuwait secured bronze with 325 points. Neeru was the standout performer in the team event, scoring 118 out of 125.