Neeru Dhanda scripts history with India’s first Asian Games women’s trap gold

Mangalore Today News Network

Nagoya, Sep 29, 2026: India’s Neeru Dhanda created history on Tuesday by becoming the country’s first shooter to win an Asian Games gold medal in the women’s trap individual event, setting a new continental record in the process.

The 26-year-old from Haryana scored 28 in the final to clinch the gold, surpassing the previous Asian record of 24. She had earlier helped India win the silver medal in the women’s trap team event.

Dhanda’s achievement comes after she became the first Indian woman to win a World Cup gold in trap at the Shotgun World Cup in Italy in July.

No Indian woman shooter had previously won an individual medal in trap or skeet at the Asian Games.

Randhir Singh won India’s first individual gold in men’s trap at the 1978 Asian Games, while Ronjan Sodhi claimed gold in the men’s double trap event at the 2010 edition.

Dhanda entered the eight-shooter final after finishing joint-top with Qatar’s Ray Bassil in qualification with a score of 118, which was a Games qualification record.

In the women’s team event, Dhanda (118), Aashima Ahlawat (106) and Manisha Keer (104) combined for 328 points to win silver. China, represented by Liu Shanshan, Sun Yunong and Zhu Jingyu, took gold with 346 points, while Kuwait won bronze with 325.

Ahlawat and Keer finished 16th and 23rd respectively in the individual qualification and did not make the final.

India’s men’s trap team finished sixth among 10 teams. However, Shapath Bharadwaj qualified for the individual final after finishing eighth.

The 24-year-old from Meerut secured the final qualification spot after winning a shoot-off against Mohammed Al-Rumaihi.

Bharadwaj, Kynan Chenai and Ahvar Rizvi scored a combined 339 points in the men’s team event. Kuwait won gold with 355 points, followed by Qatar with 349 and Kazakhstan with 348.

India had won the men’s trap team gold at the previous Asian Games in China through Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaiman.