The 26-year-old from Haryana became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in trap shooting at the Asian Games. She also set a new Asian Games record with a score of 28 hits out of 30 in the final, surpassing the previous mark of 24.
Qualification: Neeru finished joint-top with Qatar’s Ray Bassil on 118 out of 125, setting a Games qualification record, and advanced to the eight-shooter final.
Final: She hit 28 targets, finishing ahead of China’s Sun Yunong (silver, 26) and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik (bronze, 21).
The gold was India’s fifth overall at the Games and the second in shooting.
Earlier the same day, Neeru teamed up with Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer to win silver in the women’s trap team event. India scored 328, behind China’s 346, with Kuwait taking bronze.
Neeru’s triumph came after a challenging build-up. Approximately 10 days before the competition, she was hospitalised (reports mention Bhopal/Delhi) following a severe infection (suspected H1N1/flu). She was unable to train for about three-and-a-half weeks, spent several days unable to eat (surviving on liquids/water), and had minimal preparation time upon arriving in Japan
Despite the rain and difficult conditions during the final, she maintained composure to deliver the record-breaking performance.
This was a breakthrough year for the Indian Army Marksmanship Unit shooter (Naib Subedar). In July 2026, she became the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF Shotgun World Cup gold in trap (Lonato, Italy). India’s previous individual trap gold at the Asian Games came from Randhir Singh in the men’s event in 1978.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her, calling it a historic moment that would inspire young sportspersons.
Neeru’s achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian shotgun shooting and women’s participation in the discipline.