Nagoya: India added another shooting medal to its Asian Games 2026 tally as the women’s trap team of Neeru Dhanda, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer secured the silver medal in the team event in Japan on Tuesday.
The Indian trio finished with a combined score of 328 points placing second behind China, which won the gold medal with 346 points. Kuwait took the bronze with 325 points. India therefore finished three points ahead of the Kuwaiti team.
The silver added to India’s growing medal haul in shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and came on a day when the women’s trap competition also featured individual qualification and final rounds.
India finishes behind China
China dominated the women’s trap team event, finishing with 346 points to take the gold medal.
India’s 328 points were enough for the silver, while Kuwait’s 325 points earned the bronze. The three-point difference between India and Kuwait made the battle for the remaining podium places relatively close.
The result gave Neeru, Aashima and Manisha a major international medal and further strengthened India’s record in shooting at the ongoing continental event.
The women’s trap team event was part of the shooting programme scheduled for September 29. The three Indian shooters had already been in action during the qualification stages over the previous two days.
Neeru Dhanda leads India’s challenge
Neeru Dhanda entered the final day of competition after producing a strong performance in the women’s trap qualification.
NDTV reported that Neeru had taken the sole lead in the individual qualification on Monday, placing her among the leading contenders heading into the medal events.
She was joined by Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer in the Indian women’s trap squad.
The trio had been scheduled to compete in both the individual and team qualification stages, with the women’s trap individual final also taking place on Tuesday for those who qualified.
Another shooting medal for India
The women’s trap silver continued India’s strong showing in shooting at the Asian Games.
Shooting has been one of India’s key medal-producing sports at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, with Indian athletes competing across rifle, pistol, skeet and trap events.
Earlier in the Games, India had also secured medals in other shooting disciplines, including team events involving athletes such as Vidarsa K Vinod, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and others.
The women’s trap result added another medal to that tally and highlighted the depth of India’s shooting contingent.
Trap shooting remains a key event for India
India had entered the Asian Games women’s trap competition with Neeru Dhanda, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. The men’s trap team comprised Shapath Bharadwaj, Kynan Chenai and Ahvar Rizvi.
The shooting schedule placed the men’s and women’s trap events across September 27 to 29, with individual and team medals at stake.
The trap discipline requires athletes to hit clay targets launched at varying angles and speeds. Consistency across a large number of shots is crucial, making team events particularly dependent on the combined performances of all three shooters.
India’s 328-point score showed the combined strength of its women’s team and was enough to stay ahead of Kuwait for the silver medal.
Aashima and Manisha add to India’s medal campaign
Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer were important members of the Indian team alongside Neeru.
Both shooters were named in India’s Asian Games contingent for the women’s trap event, reflecting their place in the country’s senior shooting set-up.
The silver medal provides another significant achievement for the pair on the international stage and contributes to India’s overall shooting performance at the Games.
For Neeru, who had entered the final day as the individual qualification leader, the team medal came after an impressive qualification campaign.
India’s wider Asian Games campaign
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are being held in Japan, with competition scheduled across September 19 to October 4. Athletes from 45 countries and regions are competing across 43 sports.
India is competing across a wide range of disciplines, including athletics, badminton, boxing, cricket, hockey, shooting, squash, tennis and wrestling.
At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, India recorded its best-ever medal haul at the continental event. The Indian contingent entered the 2026 edition looking to build on that performance.
The women’s trap team’s silver gives India another podium finish as the competition moves through its later stages.
Focus shifts to individual trap events
While the team silver secured another medal for India, the women’s trap competition also featured individual action on Tuesday.
Neeru, Aashima and Manisha were scheduled to compete in the individual qualification and final stages, subject to qualification. The men’s trap individual final was also scheduled on the same day.
The team result nevertheless ensured that India’s shooters would leave the women’s trap team competition with a silver medal.
With a combined score of 328, India finished behind China and ahead of Kuwait, adding another medal to the country’s Asian Games campaign.