Neeru Dhanda is breaking new ground in Indian women’s shotgun shooting. The world No. 13 took the sole lead in the women’s trap qualification at the Asian Games on Monday, moving closer to an elusive individual gold that no Indian woman has won before. Fresh from becoming the first Indian woman to win an ISSF World Cup gold in shotgun, at Lonato, the heartland of the sport, the 26-year-old picked up from where she had left off on the opening day, underlining her credentials as a serious contender for the title.
In the team event, each shooter fires five rounds of 25 shots over three days, with the combined score of the three shooters determining the medal positions. The Indian trio of Shapath, Kynan and Rizvi have a combined score of 273, leaving them sixth in the team standings. Kuwait lead the race for the team gold with 287, putting India under pressure to produce a significant turnaround in the final round.
Neeru, a Naib Subedar in the Army from Haryana’s Jind district, will also be spearheading India’s hopes of a team medal alongside Manisha Keer and Aashima Ahlawat. With only six teams competing in the women’s trap, India remain in the hunt for a podium finish, although they will need a strong final round to close the gap. The shooters will fire their fifth and final round of 25 shots on Tuesday, after which the top eight will advance to the final. Manisha and Aashima are both placed 20th with identical scores of 84, taking India’s combined tally to 263 and placing the team third in the standings. China lead with 278, while Kuwait are second with 265.
