Neeru Dhanda Makes History as India's First Asian Games Gold Medalist in Women's Trap Shooting

Neeru Dhanda has made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the women's trap individual event at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Not only did she secure the gold, but she also set a new continental record with a score of 28. This remarkable achievement follows her earlier success in winning a silver medal in the women's trap team event. Dhanda's victory marks a significant milestone in Indian shooting sports, as no Indian woman has previously won an individual medal in trap or skeet shooting at the Asian Games. Discover more about her inspiring journey and the performances of the Indian teams.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 29, 2026, 12:05 IST

Historic Win for Neeru Dhanda

Nagoya: Neeru Dhanda has etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian female shooter to secure a gold medal in the women's trap individual event at the Asian Games, held in Nagoya. She not only clinched the gold but also set a new continental record.

Earlier, she had contributed to India's silver medal in the women's trap team event.

At just 26 years old and hailing from Haryana, Neeru previously made headlines by winning a World Cup gold medal in the trap event at the Shotgun World Cup in Italy this July. In Nagoya, she achieved a remarkable score of 28, breaking the previous Asian record of 24.

No Indian woman has ever won an individual medal in trap or skeet shooting at the Asian Games.

Historically, Randhir Singh was the first Indian to win an individual gold in the men's trap event during the 1978 Games, while Ronjan Sodhi secured gold in the men's double trap event in 2010.

Neeru qualified for the final round by tying for the top position with Qatar's Ray Bassil, both scoring 118, which set a new qualification record for the Games.

The Indian women's team, consisting of Neeru (118), Aashima Ahlawat (106), and Manisha Keer (104), finished with a total of 328, earning them a silver medal behind China's gold-winning team, which scored 346.

The Chinese team included Liu Shanshan, Sun Yunong, and Zhu Jingyu, while Kuwait's team took home the bronze with a total of 325.

In individual qualifications, Ahlawat and Keer placed 16th and 23rd, respectively, missing out on the finals.

On the men's side, the Indian trap team finished sixth out of ten teams, with Shapath Bharadwaj qualifying for the final after a shoot-off, securing the eighth spot.

Bharadwaj, 24, from Meerut, edged out Mohammed Al-Rumaihi in the shoot-off. The men's team, comprising Bharadwaj, Kynan Chenai, and Ahvar Rizvi, totaled 339.

Kuwait won the men's team gold with a score of 355, while Qatar and Kazakhstan took silver and bronze with scores of 349 and 348, respectively.

The Indian men's trap team had previously won gold at the last edition in China.