An Indian Army woman shooter has created history by winning country’s first-ever international gold medal in shotgun trap shooting, finishing ahead of champions from several European nations.
Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda of the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) clinched the gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Lonato, Italy. The prestigious event featured top shooters from the United States, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
“She delivered a stellar performance, scoring 121/125 in qualifications and 27/30 in the finals, finishing ahead of world champions from France and Spain,” the Indian Army said on Sunday. “A landmark moment for Indian Army shooting and a major boost ahead of the Asian Games,” the Army’s statement added.
In June, Sejal Raju Kamble from the Army Girls Sports Company, who had also trained at AMU, secured the individual gold medal in the junior women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Championships at Suhl in Germany. Cadet Navya clinched the team gold, while Cadet Himanshi secured the bronze in the same event.
Hailing from Haryana’s Jind district, 26-year old Neeru joined the Corps of Military Police after entry into the rank and file was opened for women. She trained at the AMU located at the Infantry School in Mhow, that trains military personnel, para-athletes and civilians in precision sports shooting for international competitions under the Indian Army’s Mission Olympics Wing. It trains military personnel for Olympic and national competitions.
Earlier, Neeru had won the gold medal in trap shooting at the Asian Shooting Championship in 2025.
Trap shooting is a popular target sport where participants use a shotgun to shoot flying targets known as clay pigeons, which are launched from a concealed ‘trap house’. The objective is to break as many targets as possible, requiring excellent focus, quick reflexes and precise aim.
Remaking that Neeru triumphed in dramatic Trap Women final to secure the first ISSF World Cup gold after producing a composed performance, the ISSF said the Indian shooter finished with 27 hits to secure her maiden ISSF World Cup gold medal, holding off a strong challenge from France’s Carole Cormenier and Italy’s Erica Sessa.
Neeru established herself among the front-runners from the opening stages of the final and remained remarkably consistent throughout the 30-target contest. Entering the decisive phase with a narrow advantage, she maintained her composure to finish on 27, sealing an impressive victory in one of the strongest fields of the season, the ISSF said.
Founded in 1907 and headquartered at Munich in Germany, the ISSF is the global governing body for Olympic shooting events and several other non-Olympic disciplines covering rifle, pistol, and shotgun. It oversees several international tournaments.
While Neeru is the first Indian gold medallist in the shotgun event, Esha Singh has been an ISSF World Cup gold medallist and junior world record holder in the women’s 25m pistol event and Abhinav Bindra was the first-ever individual Olympic gold medallist for India in the men’s 10m air rifle event. There have also been other Indian medallists at various international events.
