Who Is Neeru Dhanda? Meet The Shooter Who Made History With India’s First Individual Gold At Asian Games 2026

Neeru Dhanda scripted history on Tuesday by winning India’s first individual gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, claiming the women’s trap individual title with a score of 28.

The 26-year-old shooter from Haryana also set an Asian record, surpassing the previous mark of 24 set by Liu Wan-yu in January this year.

Dhanda dominated the women’s trap final and missed just once in her final 10 shots to secure India’s fifth gold medal of the ongoing Asian Games. The victory also made her the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the women’s trap individual event at the Asian Games.

Earlier, five Indian male shooters had won medals in the trap event, including Randhir Singh, who won gold in 1978. However, no Indian woman had previously finished on the podium in the individual trap event at the Asian Games.

Neeru Dhanda Leads India’s Trap Campaign

Dhanda had topped the qualification round with 118 hits. Her Indian teammates Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer finished 16th and 23rd, respectively, with scores of 106 and 104.

The combined performance helped India secure a silver medal in the women’s trap team event.

With Dhanda’s individual gold and the team silver, India’s shooting medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games rose to 14.

Who Is Neeru Dhanda?

Dhanda specialises in the trap event and has emerged as one of India’s leading shooters. She first attracted international attention after representing India at the 2022 ISSF World Championship in Osijek and has since become a regular finalist on the ISSF circuit.

In 2026, Dhanda became the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold medal in women’s trap. She achieved the feat at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, earning her first individual World Cup medal and the second ISSF World Cup medal of her career.

She later won a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Dhanda also has an Asian Shooting Championship gold medal in women’s trap, which she won in 2025.