Asian Games 2026: Neeru Dhanda Wins Historic Women’s Trap Gold

Army shooter Neeru Dhanda won a historic Asian Games gold in women’s trap, becoming the first Indian woman to win the event.

By All India Story

29 Sep 2026, 1:54 PM IST 2 min read

Neeru Dhanda celebrates after winning women’s trap gold at Asian Games 2026 — Neeru Dhanda won historic gold in women’s trap at the Asian Games 2026.

Neeru Dhanda made history at the Asian Games 2026 by becoming the first Indian woman to win gold in the women’s trap shooting event. The 26-year-old Army shooter from Haryana also set a new Asian record while securing India’s first individual gold medal at the Games.

Neeru dominates women’s trap final

Competing in heavy rain at the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting Gallery, Neeru delivered a composed performance in the final. She had already topped the qualification round with a score of 118 out of 125 before progressing to the medal round.

Neeru finished the final with 28 successful shots out of 30, beating the previous Asian record by four shots. China’s Sun Yunong took silver with 26 out of 30, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik won bronze.

Her victory came just months after she became the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold in women’s trap at Lonato, Italy. She had also helped India secure silver in the women’s team trap event earlier at the Asian Games.

Despite battling a severe bout of flu around 10 days before the competition, Neeru maintained her focus through the rain. She entered the final series with a two-shot advantage and produced a perfect five-shot series when the pressure was highest.

Cousin Lakshay inspired her shooting journey

Neeru did not initially plan to pursue shooting professionally. Her interest in the sport grew after watching her cousin Lakshay Sheoran win silver in trap at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Lakshay also supported her early training, including lending her a gun. Before joining formal training, Neeru practised with her family’s double-barrel gun and shot at tin cans while learning to manage recoil.

She joined the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy in Bhopal in 2019. Since then, she has won Asian Championship gold and made her World Championship debut in 2022.

Neeru is also a Naib Subedar in the Corps of Military Police and trains at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow. Her latest victory adds an Asian Games gold to a career that began with inspiration from a family member.