India’s shooter Neeru Dhanda made history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya (25 December 2026) when she won the gold medal in women’s individual trap shooting event.
The 26-year-old was the only gold medalist in the final with 28 hits out of 30 to become India’s fifth gold medalist at the Games.
Dhanda's win was also significant as she became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in the trap event at the Asian Games. Her 28 was also better than the previous record of 24 from the Asian Games and another achievement in Nagoya.
Dhanda spoke of the pride she felt after winning the gold and how proud she was to represent India. She was very proud to have won gold for her country and she said the national anthem at the venue was a very proud moment.
Shooting in different conditions, the shooter admitted, is difficult. Conditions are different from one country to another, so there is a need for athletes to stay calm. Dhanda worked on herself, kept calm and maintained her focus and she just got to the top.
#WATCH | Asian Games 2026 | Nagoya, Japan: On her Gold medal in women's trap shooting event, India's Neeru Dhanda says, "I am really excited; I have won Gold for my country. Hearing the national anthem here made me really proud...Conditions are different in every country. So, it… pic.twitter.com/rZJRzLwch9
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2026
She dedicated the medal to her mother, coach and the people of India. Her victory is one of the greatest accomplishments of the year and is not even a small part of what she has achieved in the world of shooting.
Earlier in 2026, Dhanda became the first Indian woman to win an individual women's trap gold at an ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy. She was later felicitated by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for that achievement.
Her Asian Games campaign had already begun strongly. Dhanda, along with Ashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer, won silver in the women’s trap team event before she went on to win individual gold.
China’s Sun Yunong won the silver medal after 26 hits and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik took bronze. Dhanda’s gold also ended a long wait for India to win in the women’s trap discipline at the Asian Games.
With her calm presence, record-breaking score and gold in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Neeru Dhanda is one of India’s best performers who has helped put her on the map. She has made history in India’s shooting and gives the country another chance to thrive as a proud nation on the global stage.
