Neeru Dhanda wins two Asian Games shooting golds after humble start
Indian shooter Neeru Dhanda has won individual and mixed-trap gold medals at the Asian Games after beginning with a borrowed, double-barrel shotgun and training on tin cans. The 26-year-old Army athlete also became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting.
Indian shooter Neeru Dhanda has won two gold medals at the Asian Games, completing a rise that began with a borrowed double-barrel shotgun and practice on tin cans. Dhanda, 26, became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in trap shooting on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she won a second gold in the mixed-trap event with Kynan Chenai.
Her first firearm was a family-owned “dunaali”, a side-by-side shotgun commonly kept by farmers to protect crops. Her father, a farmer, told ANI that she initially practised with a borrowed gun. The weapon was substantially different from the specialised sporting shotguns used in competitive trap shooting.
Dhanda began taking an interest in the sport after seeing her cousin Lakshya Sheoran succeed in trap shooting. Her progress eventually took her to the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato del Garda, Italy, where she became the first Indian woman to win a World Cup gold in the event. She is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army and joined the Corps of Military Police after the Army opened rank-and-file recruitment to women.
She later trained at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, which provides structured preparation and facilities for military shooters. Dhanda was also dealing with an infection before the Asian Games and had limited practice during a national camp in New Delhi. She reached Japan two days late, but still won both events.
The Army’s support helped provide access to the equipment, coaching and training environment required by a sport with substantial costs. The source material says ammunition can cost up to Rs 200-300 per round, while a day of practice for unsupported shooters can cost Rs 20,000-30,000. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth felicitated Dhanda after her World Cup victory.
The Army’s shooting programme has also been associated with shooters including Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar and Jitu Rai. Her Asian Games results extend a career that has taken her from a modest farming background to the top level of international trap shooting.
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