Neeru Dhanda created history on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian woman to win gold in a shotgun event at the Asian Games, as she produced a sensational performance to claim the Women’s Trap title with a new Asian Games record.
The 26-year-old from Haryana hit 28 of 30 targets in the final to win gold, finishing ahead of China’s Sun Yunong, who took silver with 26, while Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik won bronze with 21. Neeru’s score also shattered the previous Asian Games record of 24.
The landmark gold came after an equally memorable start to the day, when Neeru combined with Manisha Keer and Aashima Ahlawat to win silver in the women’s trap team event. Dhanda had earlier topped the individual qualification with 118/125, before carrying that outstanding form into the final.
Neeru’s achievement breaks new ground for Indian shotgun shooting. No Indian woman had previously won an individual Asian Games medal in trap or skeet, and Dhanda has now gone straight to the top of the podium with a historic gold.
The achievement also ends a long wait for India in an individual trap event. Randhir Singh had won the Men’s Trap gold at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, making Neeru’s triumph another landmark chapter in the history of Indian shooting.
The Asian Games gold adds another extraordinary milestone to Neeru’s breakthrough year. In July, she became the first Indian woman to win gold at the ISSF World Cup in Trap, achieving the feat at the Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy.
From her historic World Cup victory to a landmark continental gold, Neeru continues to break new ground for Indian women’s shotgun shooting.