Neeru Dhanda

Neeru Dhanda
Personal information
Born (2000-05-25) May 25, 2000 (age 26)
Jind, Haryana
Sport
CountryIndia
SportShooting
Event
Trap
Coached byPeter Wilson
Medal record
Trap shooting
Representing  India
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Asian Games 2 1 0
Asian Championships 2 0 0
World Cup 1 0 1
Total 5 1 1
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2026 Aichi–NagoyaIndividual
Gold medal – first place2026 Aichi–NagoyaMixed team
Silver medal – second place2026 Aichi–NagoyaTeam
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place2025 ShymkentIndividual
Gold medal – first place2025 ShymkentTeam
World Cup
Gold medal – first place2026 Lonato del GardaIndividual
Bronze medal – third place2026 AlmatyMixed team

Neeru Dhanda (born 25 May 2000) is an Indian sport shooter who competes in trap shooting. She won the women's trap individual and team gold medals at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championships. In 2026, she won the women's trap gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato del Garda, becoming the first Indian woman to win a World Cup gold medal in the event. She also won two gold and a silver medal in 2026 Asian Games.

Early life

Dhanda hails from Jind district, Haryana. Her family moved from Jind to Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, when she later took up shooting. She developed an interest in shooting after watching her maternal cousin Lakshay Sheoran win the silver medal in the men's trap event at the 2018 Asian Games. She initially practiced by shooting at tin cans with a family-owned double-barrel gun and later trained with Sheoran before joining the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy after clearing its selection trials.

Career

Dhanda competed at the 2022 ISSF World Championships in Osijek, Croatia, where she finished 29th in the women's trap event.

In May 2025, Dhanda won the women's trap event at the Second Shotgun National Trials in New Delhi, defeating Aashima Ahlawat 40-39 in the final. She won the gold medal in the women's trap event at the 38th National Games. In August 2025, she won gold medals in the women's trap individual and team events at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Dhanda and Vivaan Kapoor won the bronze medal in the mixed team trap event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2026. Later in July 2026, she won the women's trap gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato del Garda, Italy, becoming the first Indian woman to win a World Cup gold medal in the event.

Military career

Dhanda joined the Corps of Military Police after the Indian Army opened rank-and-file recruitment to women. She later became a Naib Subedar and trains at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh.

References

  1. ↑ "ISSF - International Shooting Sport Federation". www.issf-sports.org. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  2. 1 2 "Asian Shooting Championship 2025: Neeru Dhanda strikes gold as India win six medals in trap and 25m pistol events". Olympics.com. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Neeru Dhanda wins India's first-ever gold medal in women's trap at ISSF World Cup". The Indian Express. 2026-07-11. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  4. ↑ Masand, Ajai. "Shooter Neeru Dhanda dedicates Asian Games gold to Army jawans". Rediff. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 Mohan, Vijay (12 July 2026). "Indian Army woman shooter Neeru Dhanda wins country's first international gold in trap shooting". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Shot to the top: Inspired to take up shooting by cousin Lakshay, Neeru Dhanda becomes trap champion". The Tribune. 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  7. ↑ PTI (2025-05-27). "Sheoran and Dhanda finish on top in Shotgun National Trials". ThePrint. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
  8. ↑ "शूटिंग ट्रैप महिला वर्ग में मध्य प्रदेश की नीरू ने जीता स्वर्ण". www.livehindustan.com (in Hindi). 2025-02-09. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  9. ↑ "Vivaan Kapoor, Neeru Dhanda Win Trap Mixed Team Bronze". NDTV Sports. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Training with former Olympics champion Peter Wilson, Indian pair of Vivaan Kapoor & Neeru Dhanda, strike bronze". The Indian Express. 2026-05-11. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  11. ↑ "Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Felicitates ISSF World Cup Gold Medallists Esha Singh, Neeru Dhanda, Assures Continued Support for Indian Shooting". Press Information Bureau. 2026-07-30. Retrieved 2026-08-28.