Who Is Neeru Dhanda? All About India’s Historic Trap Shooter, Career, Achievements And Gold Medals

Neeru Dhanda has emerged as one of the biggest names in Indian shotgun shooting after a remarkable 2026 season. Born on May 25, 2000, the Haryana-born shooter specialises in women’s trap and represents Madhya Pradesh in domestic competitions. She is also a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army and trains with the Army Marksmanship Unit.

Dhanda first represented India at the 2022 ISSF World Championship in Osijek, and her rise on the international circuit has gathered pace since then. She won the women’s trap title at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, establishing herself among Asia’s leading shooters in the discipline. Her ISSF profile lists her as the Asian champion and records several international finals.

Her breakthrough, however, came in 2026. At the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, Dhanda became the first Indian woman to win an individual World Cup gold in trap. She shot 27 of 30 targets in the final after topping qualification with a national-record 121/125. The victory was India's first-ever women's trap gold at the ISSF World Cup.

Neeru Dhanda’s Major Achievements and Asian Games Glory

Dhanda's 2026 campaign also included a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan. According to the ISSF database, she finished third alongside her Indian mixed-team partner and also recorded a seventh-place finish in women's trap at Almaty later in the year.

Her form carried into the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya. Dhanda topped the women's trap qualification alongside Qatar's Ray Bassil after hitting 48 of 50 targets.

She then produced the biggest performance of her career in the final, hitting 28 of 30 targets to win gold. The victory made her the first Indian shooter to win an individual gold medal in the women's trap event at the Asian Games, while also giving India its first individual gold of the 2026 Games.

Dhanda's rise has an interesting family connection to the sport. She was inspired by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won a silver medal in men's trap at the 2018 Asian Games. Reports say she began training with a gun provided by him before developing into an international-level shooter herself.

With a World Cup gold, Asian Championship title and now an Asian Games gold on her résumé, Neeru Dhanda has quickly established herself as one of India's leading women's trap shooters.