Neeru Dhanda secures India's first individual shotgun medal of 2026
Asian Championships gold medallist Neeru Dhanda claimed her maiden ISSF World Cup title with a stunning performance in the women's trap event in Lonato, Italy, on Saturday. The 26-year-old shooter from Haryana's Jind district, who represents Madhya Pradesh in national competitions, shot 27 out of 30 in the eight-shooter final to outclass a world-class field and end India's wait for an individual shotgun medal on the global stage this year.
Neeru's closest challenger, France's Carole Cormenier, a former world champion, settled for silver with 25, while Italy's Erica Sessa claimed the bronze. This victory marks the biggest achievement of Neeru's career since winning the Asian Championships gold last year and the ISSF World Cup mixed team bronze earlier this year.
Dominant qualification and flawless start
Neeru carried her sublime form into the final after topping the qualification standings. She began where she had left off on Friday, when she shot a flawless 75 out of 75 in the opening three rounds. She then missed just two targets in the fourth round and another two in the fifth and final round to finish with an impressive 121 out of 125, qualifying for the final as the top-ranked shooter.
The fiercely competitive field saw two shooters finish the qualification with scores of 120, while another five were involved in a shoot-off to determine the remaining placings in the eight-shooter final. Neeru's compatriot Manisha Keer narrowly missed out on a place in the final after shooting 117 out of 125 to finish 10th.
Consistency in the final seals gold
Neeru maintained her remarkable consistency in the final, missing just three targets—the second, 13th and 25th shots—to seal a deserved maiden World Cup gold. The third Indian in the fray, Aashima Ahlawat, finished joint 80th in the 106-shooter field.
Neeru, who will represent India at the Asian Games in Japan later this year, expressed her delight after the win. "I am very happy to win this gold medal. It was a tough competition, but I stayed focused and executed my plans well," she said according to the ISSF.
Men's trap shooters struggle before Asian Games
India's men's trap shooters endured another disappointing outing, finishing well down the pecking order in their final international competition before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September-October. Ahvar Rizvi shot 118 out of 125 in qualification to finish joint 40th in a field of 208 shooters, while experienced Kynan Chenai, who is also part of the Asian Games squad, ended joint 71st with a score of 116.
Shapath Bharadwaj had another disappointing day, managing only 113 out of 125, with his lowest score of 21 out of 25 coming in the fifth and final qualification round. Bharadwaj finished joint 106th along with several other shooters.
