Neeru Dhanda wins India’s first individual gold of 2026 Asian Games
Neeru Dhanda gave India its first individual gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday, September 29, winning the women’s trap final in Aichi, Japan. The 26-year-old shooter hit 28 of 30 targets, finishing two ahead of China’s Sun Yunong and setting an Asian record in the event.
It was a landmark result for Indian shooting: no Indian woman had previously won an individual Asian Games gold in trap. Dhanda’s victory was also her second medal of the day. Hours earlier, she had joined Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to take silver in the women’s trap team competition.
From qualification to the top of the podium
Dhanda’s route to gold began with three days of qualification. She broke 118 of 125 targets, matching Qatar’s Ray Bassil at the top of the individual standings. Her score also made her the leading contributor to India’s team total of 328. Ahlawat added 106 and Keer 104 as India finished behind China, which won team gold with 346.
In the eight-shooter individual final, Dhanda carried that form into a shorter, higher-pressure contest. She hit all five targets in her opening series and kept her lead as the field narrowed. Rain added to the challenge at the outdoor range, but she missed just twice across the final’s six five-target series.
Dhanda entered the last series two hits ahead of Sun. Five more successful shots secured the title: Dhanda finished on 28, Sun took silver with 26, and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik claimed bronze with 21 from 25 targets. For Dhanda, the final score improved on the previous Asian record of 24 under the current format.
The distinction between India’s first individual gold at these Games and its shooting history matters. India had already won four gold medals in team events at the 2026 Games before Dhanda’s final. Indian men had also won individual Asian Games trap medals in earlier editions, including Randhir Singh’s gold in 1978. Dhanda’s first is specifically in the women’s individual trap event.
A path into shotgun shooting
Dhanda came to the sport after seeing her cousin Lakshay Sheoran win men’s trap silver at the 2018 Asian Games. Her mother, Sudesh Dhanda, has described how the cost of a shotgun and training initially put the ambition beyond the family’s reach. Sheoran and his father helped her get started, and Dhanda trained using her cousin’s equipment before establishing herself in competition.
She had played kabaddi before taking up shooting. Early practice led to training at the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy and, eventually, a place on India’s international circuit. Her progress was visible well before she arrived in Japan: she won women’s trap gold at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship and, in July 2026, took her first individual World Cup title at Lonato, Italy. She also won a mixed-team World Cup bronze with Vivaan Kapoor earlier in 2026.
Those results made Dhanda a contender, but the Asian Games required her to deliver across qualification, a team result and a final on the same decisive day. She did all three. After helping secure silver for her teammates, she returned to the range and produced the performance that put an Indian woman on top of the Asian Games individual trap podium for the first time.
