Asian Shooting Championship: Neeru and Payal shine, Manu misses out on a medal

Indian shooters continued their remarkable run at the ongoing 16th Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, pushing the India's medal tally to 50 by day 8. The latest wave of medals was highlighted by Neeru Dhanda’s golden finish in women’s trap, a historic podium sweep by the junior women’s 25m pistol shooters, and a battling silver from Bhowneesh Mendiratta in the men’s trap category. At the same time, Manu Bhaker, endured heartbreak as she fell just short of the podium in the women’s 25m pistol final, finishing fourth.

Neeru’s golden run in women’s trap

Neeru Dhanda was the star of the day, delivering a flawless finish in the women’s trap final. After qualifying with a score of 107, she found her rhythm when it mattered most. With nerves of steel, Neeru hit all 10 of her last targets and 22 of her final 25 to finish with 43 hits, leaving Qatar’s Ray Bassil (37) trailing behind. Fellow Indian Aashima Ahlawat also made it to the podium with bronze on 29 hits, giving India a double medal finish in the event. The Indian trio of Neeru, Aashima, and Preeti Rajak combined for a score of 319, comfortably clinching the team gold, finishing 18 points clear of China.

If Neeru’s victory showed India’s strength in senior competition, the junior women’s 25m pistol event underlined the country’s incredible bench strength. Qualification was dominated by India, with Naamya Kapoor topping the charts at 581 and Tejaswini close behind at 577. Payal Khatri, who just managed to squeeze into the final with 569, saved her best for last.

In the title clash, Payal staged a thrilling charge, firing consistently in the later stages and closing with a perfect 5/5 in the 10th series. She sealed the gold with 36 hits, ahead of Naamya (silver, 30) and Tejaswini (bronze, 27). It was a clean sweep for India, a rare feat in a continental competition. Together with Riya Shirish Thatte, the trio also earned a team silver with 1700, finishing behind Korea.

In the men’s trap, Bhowneesh Mendiratta showed grit and precision to reach the final after qualifying with a solid 118. Against China’s Qi Ying, the Paris Olympic silver medallist, Mendiratta held his own for most of the contest. Eventually, he had to settle for silver with 45 hits, two behind Qi’s 47, but his performance kept India firmly in medal contention across categories.

Manu’s disappointment

The women’s 25m pistol final was stacked with Olympic champions and seasoned shooters, making it one of the most anticipated events of the day. Manu Bhaker entered as one of the medal favourites but faltered in the closing stages. After a strong start, a costly one-hit eighth series saw her slip to fourth place with 25 points, narrowly missing out on bronze to Vietnam’s Thu Vinh Trinh, who scored 29. China’s Zhang Yueyue and Xiao Jiaruixian went on to secure gold and silver. Meanwhile, Esha Singh finished sixth with 18 hits. However, there was consolation in the team standings, where Manu, Esha, and Simranpreet Kaur Brar combined for 1749 to win team bronze behind China and Korea.

India's medal tally

28 gold

10 silver

12 bronze

Total: 50