New Delhi: Neeru Dhanda became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games with a superb show in the trap final on Tuesday. The 26-year-old from Jind in Haryana shot 28 out of a possible 30 hits to smash the Asian record — the previous mark stood at 24 — at the General Shooting Gallery in Aichi to claim the top finish.
China’s Sun Yunong was next with 26 shots while Kuwait’s Abdulmalik Hajar took bronze with 21 in the eight-shooter final.
The gold also makes Neeru only the second individual gold medallist in trap shooting for India in Asian Games history, behind the late Randhir Singh’s gold at the 1978 Games in Bangkok.
Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Doha 2006) and Neeru’s cousin Lakshay Sheoran (Jakarta and Palembang 2018) won a silver medal each in trap shooting at the Asian Games, while Kynan Chenai shot a bronze in the previous edition.
Neeru was consistency personified in the final and led from start to finish. She shot four perfect series out of six and never conceded the advantage.
Her medal, however, isn’t a complete surprise as Neeru went into the competition on the back of some fine form.
She created history at the Lonato World Cup this July when she won the gold to become the first Indian woman to win a shotgun World Cup. She also won gold at the 2025 Asian Championships and a mixed team bronze with Vivaan Kapoor at the ISSF World Cup in Almaty this year.