From borrowed gun to Asian Games gold: Neeru Dhanda’s shooting journey

Dhanda switched from kabaddi to shooting in 2019, trained with cousin Lakshay Sheoran’s gun and initially fired at tin cans to master recoil

Eight years after watching her cousin Lakshay Sheoran win a silver medal at the Asian Games, Neeru Dhanda on Tuesday in Japan became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting, setting a new Asian record with 28 hits out of 30 targets in the final.

From a Jind village to Japan, Dhanda built her career with support from cousin Lakshay, his father Somveer and her family despite financial hurdles. (PTI)

The 26-year-old from Sangatpura village in Jind, Haryana, had already helped India win silver in the women’s trap team event. She reached the individual final after finishing joint-top in qualification with 118 hits. China’s Sun Yunong finished with 26 hits in the final, while Neeru led throughout, recording four perfect series.

Her journey began in 2019, when she switched from kabaddi to shooting after being inspired by Lakshay, who had won silver at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. With her family unable to easily afford equipment and training, she initially practised with Lakshay’s gun and fired at tin cans, with her father wanting her to get accustomed to the recoil.

Somveer Sheoran, a former wrestler and Lakshay’s father, encouraged her to stay at their place in Faridabad and practise at their farmhouse. “She started with shooting at tin cans and then went on to practise with Lakshay’s gun. She is a very hard-working and determined girl who gave her all to reach the stage she is in today,” Somveer told HT. The family later took her for trials to Bhopal.

Sudesh Dhanda, Neeru’s mother, said the family initially worried about financing her training. “We are extremely proud of our daughter. She has made the entire country proud. When she told us that she wanted to train in trap shooting, we were worried about how we would afford it, but with Lakshay’s and my brother Somveer’s support, our daughter has reached great heights,” she told HT.

She said people in Sangatpura had urged the family to get Neeru married. “I am glad that we did not listen to them. We want our daughter to progress further,” she said.

Neeru, who also serves as a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, won an individual trap gold at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy, in July this year.

Coach Mansher, who spotted her at trials in Madhya Pradesh, said she fell seriously ill before travelling to Japan. “Neeru came to Delhi from Bhopal 10 days before leaving for Japan, but she fell sick. She did not train at all for nine days. She suffered from a severe viral infection and had to be hospitalised for three days,” he told HT.

“From the very beginning, she told me, she wants to achieve something that no one had achieved in the field before,” Mansher said.