Meet Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda: 1st Indian Woman to Win Asian Games Gold in Women’s Trap

Meet Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda, the Indian Army shooter who created history by winning the women’s individual trap gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda makes history as the first Indian woman to win Gold in Women’s Trap! She dominated from the start, shattering the Games Record in qualification with a stunning 118/125.

Representing India on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages, Neeru delivered a composed performance under difficult rainy conditions on September 29, finishing on top in the women’s trap final and securing India’s fifth gold medal of the Games. She also became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting.

Neeru entered the final after an impressive qualification campaign and carried that momentum into the medal round. She began strongly by hitting all five targets in the opening series and remained among the leaders throughout the competition.

After a single miss in the second series, she responded with a perfect third series and continued to shoot consistently. By the end of four series, she had hit 19 of her first 20 targets.

With the pressure increasing in the closing stages, Neeru maintained her composure. She eventually secured the gold ahead of China’s Sun Yunong and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik, completing one of the standout performances for India in shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

The individual title came only hours after Neeru had already helped India secure a silver medal in the women’s trap team event.

Neeru Dhanda, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer combined for a score of 328 to finish behind China, which won gold with 346. Kuwait took bronze with 325. Neeru was India’s strongest performer in qualification, shooting 118 out of 125 targets.

For Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda, however, the Asian Games triumph is the latest milestone in a career that has rapidly established her among India’s leading shotgun shooters.

An Indian Army Marksmanship Unit shooter, Neeru serves in the Indian Army with the rank of Naib Subedar. Her association with the Army’s sporting system has provided her a platform to train and compete at the highest level while representing the country internationally.

Just a few months before the Asian Games, Neeru achieved another major breakthrough when she won her maiden ISSF World Cup gold medal in the women’s trap event at Lonato, Italy, on July 11, 2026.

Competing against an elite international field, Neeru hit 27 targets in the 30-target final to finish ahead of France’s Carole Cormenier, who took silver with 25. The victory was the biggest international title of Neeru’s career at the time and confirmed her emergence as one of India’s strongest trap shooters.

Her journey into shooting also has a strong family connection.

Neeru was inspired by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won the men’s trap silver medal for India at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Neeru had previously been involved in kabaddi before becoming inspired by Lakshay’s success and deciding to pursue shooting seriously.

Coming from Sangatpura village in Haryana, her journey was not built on abundant resources. The family faced financial and infrastructure limitations during the early stages of her shooting career, but Neeru continued training and gradually established herself at the national and international levels.

Eight years after watching Lakshay Sheoran stand on the Asian Games podium with a silver medal, Neeru went one step further by winning gold herself.

Her rise has also been significant for Indian shooting because trap and other shotgun disciplines have historically produced fewer major international medals for India than rifle and pistol events.

Neeru’s achievements over the past year indicate that this gap may be narrowing.

From becoming an Asian champion to winning an ISSF World Cup gold medal and then standing on top of the Asian Games podium, Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda has built an impressive international résumé in a short period.

Her success also highlights the contribution of the Indian Army and its sporting institutions in identifying, supporting and developing athletes capable of representing India at the highest level.

On September 29, 2026, Neeru not only returned with an individual Asian Games gold medal but also completed the day with two medals — gold in the individual trap event and silver in the women’s team competition.

For the Indian Army shooter who once drew inspiration from her cousin’s Asian Games medal, the Aichi-Nagoya Games marked a defining moment.

Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda is now an Asian Games champion — and one of the leading faces of India’s new generation of shotgun shooters.