Neeru Dhanda shatters Asian record to clinch women's trap gold at Asian Games

India's Neeru Dhanda has etched her name into the history books, producing a stunning 28 out of 30 in the women's trap final to clinch gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday — and in the process breaking the previous Asian record of 24 in the process.

The 26-year-old shooter's commanding performance delivered India its first individual gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games, lifting the country's tally to five gold medals and 47 medals overall. China's Sun Yunong finished second with 26 hits to take silver, while Kuwait's Hajar Abdulmalik claimed bronze with 21.

Dhanda had already signalled her intent by topping qualification with an impressive 118 hits out of 125, and she carried that form into the six-shooter final to produce the biggest result of her career.

A silver to match the gold

Earlier in the day, Dhanda had played a central role in India's women's trap team silver medal, joining teammates Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to finish second behind China in the team event.

A season of firsts

For Dhanda, the Asian Games triumph comes just months after she broke new ground at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy. In July, she became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in trap at an ISSF World Cup — a feat that now carries a continental dimension following Tuesday's success in Nagoya.

She arrived at the Asian Games as the reigning Asian champion, having won gold at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championships, and also boasted a mixed-team bronze from the ISSF World Cup in Almaty earlier this year.

From tin cans to the podium

Dhanda's remarkable journey to the top of the podium began with a family inspiration. She took up shooting after watching her maternal cousin Lakshay Sheoran win a silver medal in men's trap at the 2018 Asian Games — and Sheoran also lent her his gun when she was beginning her journey in the sport. Years later, Dhanda has not only followed him onto the Asian Games podium, but has gone one better by winning gold.

Her rise has been backed by the Indian Army, where Dhanda serves as a Naib Subedar in the Corps of Military Police. She trains at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow under foreign coach Peter Wilson, the London 2012 Olympic trap champion, and is part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme's Development Group.