Neeru Dhanda wins women’s trap individual gold at Asian Games in Nagoya on Sept. 29, 2026
Neeru Dhanda won the women’s trap individual gold at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, becoming the first Indian woman to claim an individual Asian Games title in the event. The 26-year-old achieved the victory just 10 days after a serious illness that left her hospitalised and uncertain about competing.
Dhanda, a Jind-born shooter, said the difficult build-up had been eased by her personal coach Mansher Singh and dedicated the medal to Indian Army soldiers and the late Raja Randhir Singh. "Mansher sir only told me to forget what has happened and focus on the target, which I did," Neeru said. "I dedicate this medal to the soldiers of the Indian Army who do a much bigger task defending the nation and to Late Raja Randhir Singh, who won India's first trap gold in the Asian Games back in 1978," she said.
Barely 10 days before the competition Dhanda was hospitalised in Bhopal after a severe bout of flu, with H1N1 suspected, and was unable to eat for five days; her participation and form were uncertain before she returned to training. In qualification she finished joint-top with Qatar’s Ray Bassil on 118, a Games record, after posting 95 out of 100 through the opening four rounds and 23 in the fifth round amid worsening weather.
In the eight-shooter final Dhanda produced 28 hits to surpass the previous Asian record of 24 and secure gold. China’s Sun Yunong took silver with 26, while Kuwait’s Abdulmalik Hajar earned bronze with 21.
The gold added to a breakthrough season for Dhanda: in July she became the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold in trap. She had earlier contributed to India’s medal tally in Nagoya by helping the women’s trap team of Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer win silver, with the trio finishing second behind China.
India’s men’s trap team—Shapath Bharadwaj, Kynan Chenai and Ahvar Rizvi—finished sixth at the Games; Bharadwaj reached the individual final after winning a shoot-off for the eighth qualification spot but placed eighth in the final. Dhanda’s victory followed an earlier Indian shooting gold at these Games by Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.
Dhanda credited family influence for her entry into the sport: her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won trap silver at the 2018 Asian Games, encouraged her and lent the gun that helped her start before she moved to the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy in Bhopal. Her gold in Nagoya also establishes her as the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games medal in trap, and comes after India had already secured another shooting gold in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.
