From a hospital bed to the Asian Games podium, Haryana shooter Neeru Dhanda produced a record-breaking performance to win India’s first individual Asian Games gold in trap since 1978.
Neeru Dhanda has written a new chapter in Indian shooting history.
The 26-year-old Haryana shooter won gold in the women’s trap event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday, ending India’s 48-year wait for an individual gold in the discipline.
The last Indian to achieve the feat was Randhir Singh at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Neeru shot 28 out of 30 in the final at the General Shooting Gallery, setting both an Asian record and a Games record. China’s Sun Yurong won silver, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik took bronze with 21 hits.
The score reflected the quality of Neeru’s shooting, but the way she handled the pressure made the performance even more impressive.
A Final Built on Composure
Neeru was second after the second series of five shots, trailing Sun Yurong. She levelled the scores in the next series before opening a two-point lead in the fourth.
She then hit nine of her next 10 targets to take control of the final and secure the gold.
Her coach, Mansher Singh, a multiple Asian Games medallist, watched closely from the sidelines. He later said Neeru’s body language showed that she was completely locked into the competition.
For a shooter, that mental state can make the difference between a good performance and a winning one.
Neeru also had to deal with difficult weather conditions. Rain fell during the final, but she remained composed and focused on the targets.
From a Hospital Bed to the Podium
What makes Neeru’s achievement remarkable is the condition in which she arrived at the Games.
Barely a week before the competition, she fell seriously ill during a training session at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi. Her coach rushed her to hospital, where she spent several days dealing with severe exhaustion, fever and rashes.
Her preparation was badly affected.
She effectively went from a hospital bed to the Asian Games shooting range.
It was not the first health setback Mansher had helped her overcome. Soon after she began training at the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, Neeru contracted Covid-19 and stopped attending the range. Mansher arranged medical care and helped her return to training.
Earlier, she had also battled Influenza B and had been in danger of missing the Asian Games.
Despite those setbacks, she kept her attention on the competition.
“I kept calm, stayed focused on my game and brought home the gold,” Neeru told the media in Japan.
That calmness has become one of the defining features of her shooting.
Inspired by Her Cousin
Neeru comes from Jind in Haryana and entered shooting after watching the success of her cousin Lakshay Sheoran.
She began learning the basics with a spare shotgun and tin cans serving as makeshift targets. Her parents later took her to the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, where Mansher Singh became her chief coach.
Lakshay also played an important role during her early years.
He recalled that Neeru had once told him she wanted to try trap shooting because of him. Years later, she has gone beyond his Asian Games achievement.
Lakshay won silver in Jakarta in 2018. Manavjit Singh Sandhu had also won silver in Doha in 2006, while Kynan Chenai claimed bronze in Hangzhou in 2023.
Neeru has now become the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games medal in trap.
A Growing International Record
Neeru is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army and has already established herself on the international shooting circuit.
She became the first Indian woman to win an ISSF Shotgun World Cup gold, shooting 27 in Lonato, Italy.
Last year, she won both individual and team gold medals at the Asian Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Her coaches have consistently highlighted her work ethic and temperament. She has developed steadily as a shooter, with her ability to remain composed under pressure becoming one of her biggest strengths.
Mansher believes she has the qualities required to compete at the highest level. Her Asian Games performance now provides another indication of how far she has progressed.
A New Milestone for Indian Shooting
India has waited almost five decades for an individual Asian Games gold in trap. Neeru Dhanda has finally ended that wait.
Her victory is about more than a medal. It is also a story of resilience, preparation and composure under pressure.
A week before standing on the top step of the Asian Games podium, Neeru was recovering in a hospital. On Tuesday, she was breaking records and making history.
For young shooters watching her journey, that transformation may prove as important as the gold medal itself.
Neeru Dhanda has written a new chapter in Indian shooting history.
The 26-year-old Haryana shooter won gold in the women’s trap event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday, ending India’s 48-year wait for an individual gold in the discipline.
The last Indian to achieve the feat was Randhir Singh at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Neeru shot 28 out of 30 in the final at the General Shooting Gallery, setting both an Asian record and a Games record. China’s Sun Yurong won silver, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik took bronze with 21 hits.
The score reflected the quality of Neeru’s shooting, but the way she handled the pressure made the performance even more impressive.
A Final Built on Composure
Neeru was second after the second series of five shots, trailing Sun Yurong. She levelled the scores in the next series before opening a two-point lead in the fourth.
She then hit nine of her next 10 targets to take control of the final and secure the gold.
Her coach, Mansher Singh, a multiple Asian Games medallist, watched closely from the sidelines. He later said Neeru’s body language showed that she was completely locked into the competition.
For a shooter, that mental state can make the difference between a good performance and a winning one.
Neeru also had to deal with difficult weather conditions. Rain fell during the final, but she remained composed and focused on the targets.
From a Hospital Bed to the Podium
What makes Neeru’s achievement remarkable is the condition in which she arrived at the Games.
Barely a week before the competition, she fell seriously ill during a training session at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi. Her coach rushed her to hospital, where she spent several days dealing with severe exhaustion, fever and rashes.
Her preparation was badly affected.
She effectively went from a hospital bed to the Asian Games shooting range.
It was not the first health setback Mansher had helped her overcome. Soon after she began training at the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, Neeru contracted Covid-19 and stopped attending the range. Mansher arranged medical care and helped her return to training.
Earlier, she had also battled Influenza B and had been in danger of missing the Asian Games.
Despite those setbacks, she kept her attention on the competition.
“I kept calm, stayed focused on my game and brought home the gold,” Neeru told the media in Japan.
That calmness has become one of the defining features of her shooting.
Inspired by Her Cousin
Neeru comes from Jind in Haryana and entered shooting after watching the success of her cousin Lakshay Sheoran.
She began learning the basics with a spare shotgun and tin cans serving as makeshift targets. Her parents later took her to the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, where Mansher Singh became her chief coach.
Lakshay also played an important role during her early years.
He recalled that Neeru had once told him she wanted to try trap shooting because of him. Years later, she has gone beyond his Asian Games achievement.
Lakshay won silver in Jakarta in 2018. Manavjit Singh Sandhu had also won silver in Doha in 2006, while Kynan Chenai claimed bronze in Hangzhou in 2023.
Neeru has now become the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games medal in trap.
A Growing International Record
Neeru is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army and has already established herself on the international shooting circuit.
She became the first Indian woman to win an ISSF Shotgun World Cup gold, shooting 27 in Lonato, Italy.
Last year, she won both individual and team gold medals at the Asian Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Her coaches have consistently highlighted her work ethic and temperament. She has developed steadily as a shooter, with her ability to remain composed under pressure becoming one of her biggest strengths.
Mansher believes she has the qualities required to compete at the highest level. Her Asian Games performance now provides another indication of how far she has progressed.
A New Milestone for Indian Shooting
India has waited almost five decades for an individual Asian Games gold in trap. Neeru Dhanda has finally ended that wait.
Her victory is about more than a medal. It is also a story of resilience, preparation and composure under pressure.
A week before standing on the top step of the Asian Games podium, Neeru was recovering in a hospital. On Tuesday, she was breaking records and making history.
For young shooters watching her journey, that transformation may prove as important as the gold medal itself.
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