– by Pratyusha Mukherjee, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
JCO Neeru Dhanda capped a memorable day for India’s trap shooters, following up a team silver alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer with individual gold and a new Asian Games record.Neeru Dhanda produced a stunning double at the Asian Games on Tuesday, helping India secure silver in the women’s trap team event before returning hours later to claim individual gold with a new Asian Games record.
The team competition was decided by the combined qualification scores of the three shooters. Neeru led India’s charge with an impressive 118 out of 125, a score that also placed her joint-top in the individual qualification standings and equalled the Games record.
Aashima Ahlawat added 106, while Manisha Keer contributed 104, giving India a combined score of 328 — three points ahead of Kuwait, who finished with 325 to take bronze.
China dominated the team competition with 346 to claim gold. Although Aashima and Manisha did not qualify for the individual final, their scores proved crucial to India’s silver-medal finish.
Neeru carried her exceptional qualification form into the individual final. She opened with a perfect first series to remain level at the top before a rare miss on her fourth shot of the second series dropped her to third, alongside Qatar’s Ray Bassil and behind Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik and China’s Zhu Jingyu.
The Indian responded immediately, shooting perfectly in the next series to regain the outright lead as Bassil, Sun Yunong and Abdulmalik each missed twice. Bassil was subsequently eliminated in fourth place.
Neeru then struck four of five targets in the following series to put herself firmly in medal position. Abdulmalik and Yunong each missed once, leaving them tied on 21. Abdulmalik eventually secured bronze, while Yunong was eliminated from medal contention.
With the contest reduced to a two-way battle, Neeru held her nerve in the shot-by-shot elimination phase. She hit her first four shots of the final series and then completed a perfect round with her fifth and final shot to finish on 28 and seal the gold medal.
Her victory also established a new Asian Games record.
NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo hailed the performance, saying, “What a day for Indian shooting. Neeru has been in phenomenal form all year, and to see her back up a team silver with an individual gold — and an Asian Games record — in the space of a few hours is truly special. Aashima and Manisha also played their part in getting us on the podium in the team event. This is a proud moment for the sport and for the country.”
NRAI Secretary General Pawan Kumar Singh added, “Neeru’s performance today reflects the depth we now have in our trap shooting programme. To top qualification, help India to a team medal, and then close it out with gold in the individual final shows both consistency and composure under pressure. Credit to the coaching staff and the support systems that have gone into building this squad.”
The two medals took India’s shooting tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to 14, underlining the country’s strong campaign in the discipline as the Games enter their closing stages.
Images: Asian Games / NRAI
