From Hospital Bed to Asian Games Gold, Neeru Dhanda Reflects on Historic Triumph

Neeru Dhanda produced a remarkable performance at the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting Gallery, overcoming both her recent health problems and persistent rain to claim the gold medal. She also won a silver medal in the team event earlier in the day.

The 28-year-old shooter said her health had deteriorated significantly in the days leading up to the Games. She was unable to train during the entire camp and spent much of her time in her room.

“No, it wasn't like I thought I would miss it (Asian Games), but my condition was quite bad. I didn't train during the whole camp and stayed in my room most of the time,” Dhanda told reporters after her victory.

“For five days, I didn't even eat anything — I was just on water,” she added.

Despite the setback, Dhanda remained in regular contact with her coach Mansher Singh, who has worked with her since her early days in the sport. His encouragement helped her maintain confidence despite the lack of preparation.

“Every day he kept me motivated, saying, ‘It's okay, even if you don't shoot for 4-5 days, it makes no difference. You are super, and you will remain a star,’” Dhanda recalled.

Once the competition began, the health setback appeared to have little impact on her performance. She registered 28 hits from 30 targets in the final, setting a new Asian record and surpassing the previous mark of 24 by four hits.

The challenging weather conditions added another layer of difficulty, with continuous rain affecting the competition. Dhanda, however, said her determination to perform for the people and institutions supporting her helped her stay focused.

“Hurdles don't matter when you have complete commitment in your heart — that I have to win for my family, my country, the Indian Army, the MP State Shooting Academy, my federation, and SAI,” she said.

“So many people are standing behind me, and that gives me the motivation that when they are putting in so much hard work behind me, my job is very small in comparison: I just have to win, follow my process, and repeat it,” she added.

Dhanda's journey into shooting was influenced by her cousin Lakshay Sheoran, who won a silver medal in the men's trap event at the 2018 Asian Games. She said it was Lakshay's parents who encouraged her to take up the sport.

“Lakshay's mother and father motivated me. I was inspired by his medal back then. Before that, I didn't even know what shooting was,” she said.

Coming from a farming family, Dhanda said financial challenges also made the support she received from the MP State Shooting Academy particularly important to her development.

“My father is a farmer. My mother is a housewife. My mother takes care of everything, and my father does too. Our financial situation is not good. MP State Shooting Academy has been supporting us. That's how I came here,” she said.

The Asian Games gold adds to Dhanda's growing list of international achievements. She won gold at the Lonato del Garda World Cup earlier in 2026 and has now followed it with a historic continental title.

However, Dhanda has already set her sights on an even bigger target: the Olympic Games.

“Both (World Cup and Asian Games gold) are equal for me. But you know which one is bigger. We are preparing for that. We will say when we win that. We are preparing for that step by step,” she said.

For Dhanda, the journey from a hospital bed just days before the Asian Games to standing atop the podium represents a remarkable chapter in her shooting career. Her record-breaking performance has also created a landmark moment for Indian women's trap shooting.