Neeru Dhanda Leads India to Women’s Trap Silver, Qualifies for Individual Final at Asian Games

India’s women’s trap shooters delivered a strong performance at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, combining for a silver medal in the team event while Neeru Dhanda produced one of the standout individual performances of the qualification round.

Neeru, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer finished second in the women’s trap team competition with a combined score of 328, behind China’s gold-medal-winning total of 346. Kuwait took bronze with 325, leaving India just three points clear of the third-placed team. The medal was built around Neeru’s exceptional score of 118 out of 125, which gave India the necessary cushion despite more modest contributions from Aashima and Manisha.

Aashima finished with 106, while Manisha recorded 104. Neither was able to challenge for one of the individual final positions, but their combined scores, alongside Neeru’s 118, were enough to put India firmly on the podium in the team competition. For Neeru, however, the morning was far from over.

The Indian shooter finished at the top end of the individual qualification standings with 118, tied with Qatar’s Ray Bassil on the same score. With the qualification round concluding, Neeru secured her place in the women’s trap individual final, scheduled for 10:30 AM IST.

Her qualification capped a highly consistent three-day showing in Nagoya. Neeru had remained in contention throughout the qualification phase, and her 118 ultimately proved decisive both for India’s team medal and her own progression into the individual medal round. The structure of the trap competition makes Neeru’s performance particularly significant. In the team event, every target hit contributes directly to the combined score, meaning that a standout individual performance can substantially alter the medal equation. Neeru’s 118 accounted for more than 35 per cent of India’s overall 328-point total.

India’s final margin over Kuwait was only three points. That means Neeru’s difference of 12 hits over Aashima and 14 over Manisha was not merely an individual statistical highlight; it was central to India finishing on the podium. China, meanwhile, established a considerable advantage with 346 points, finishing 18 points ahead of India. Its total underlined the depth of its three-shooter performance and gave it a comfortable lead for the team gold.

The Indian trio therefore leaves the team event with a silver medal, but Neeru now has an opportunity to add another medal in the individual competition.

The individual final will also provide a different test. Unlike the qualification phase, where consistency across a large number of targets is critical, the final places greater emphasis on maintaining precision under elimination pressure. Neeru enters that contest having already demonstrated the ability to sustain a high hit rate across the qualification rounds.

Her 118 puts her among the leading shooters heading into the medal round, with Bassil also on 118. The two shooters' tied qualification scores made for an extremely tight finish at the top of the standings.

For India, the morning has therefore produced both a medal and another medal opportunity. The women’s trap silver adds to India’s shooting haul at the Asian Games, while Neeru’s qualification keeps the national team’s hopes alive in the individual event. Aashima and Manisha may have missed out on the individual final, but their contributions were still crucial to the team’s podium finish.

The immediate focus now shifts to Neeru.

At 10:30 AM IST, she will return to the range with an individual medal at stake. After carrying India’s team challenge with a 118 in qualification, the next task is to convert that consistency into a podium finish in the final.

For Indian shooting, Tuesday has already delivered one silver. Neeru Dhanda now has the opportunity to make it more.