Neeru Dhanda Secures First ISSF World Cup Gold in Women's Trap Event
Neeru Dhanda's Historic Win at ISSF World Cup
Neeru Dhanda, who previously won gold at the Asian Championships, has achieved her first ISSF World Cup title, marking a significant milestone for India in individual shotgun events this year. She triumphed in the women's trap category in Lonato on Saturday.
This victory stands as Neeru's most significant accomplishment since her Asian Championships gold last year and the mixed team bronze at the ISSF World Cup earlier this year, showcasing her exceptional shooting skills over two days.
The 26-year-old shooter, originally from Jind district in Haryana but competing for Madhya Pradesh, demonstrated her prowess by scoring 27 out of 30 in the final, outperforming a highly competitive field.
Her nearest rival, Carole Cormenier from France, a former world champion, took home the silver medal with a score of 25, while Italy's Erica Sessa secured the bronze.
Neeru entered the final with outstanding form, having topped the qualification rounds.
She continued her impressive performance from Friday, where she achieved a perfect score of 75 out of 75 in the initial three rounds. In the fourth round, she missed only two targets and finished the qualification with an impressive total of 121 out of 125, securing her spot as the top shooter for the final.
The qualification round was fiercely contested, with two shooters finishing with scores of 120, leading to a shoot-off for the remaining spots in the final.
Another Indian shooter, Manisha Keer, narrowly missed the final, finishing 10th with a score of 117 out of 125.
Neeru, who is set to represent India at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, maintained her consistency in the final, missing only three targets—specifically the second, 13th, and 25th shots—to clinch her well-deserved first World Cup gold.
The third Indian competitor, Aashima Ahlawat, finished joint 80th among 106 shooters.
In contrast, India's men's trap shooters faced challenges, finishing lower in the rankings during their last international event before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya scheduled for September-October.
Ahvar Rizvi scored 118 out of 125, placing him joint 40th among 208 shooters, while veteran Kynan Chenai, also part of the Asian Games team, ended joint 71st with a score of 116.
Shapath Bharadwaj had a disappointing performance, scoring only 113 out of 125, with his lowest round being 21 out of 25 in the final qualification round, finishing joint 106th with several others.