Neeru Dhanda made history by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games, and her coach couldn't control his emotions. He was seen celebrating wildly; he even broke his umbrella, and the video has been circulating online.
Dhanda etched her name into the record books on Tuesday by claiming the women’s individual trap gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. The Indian shooter became the first Indian woman to win the title.
The 26-year-old from Jind, Haryana, hit 28 of 30 targets in challenging rainy conditions to finish ahead of China’s Sun Yunong and Kuwait’s Hajar Abdulmalik. The performance set a new Asian Games record and delivered India’s first individual shooting gold of the Games.
Watch: Neeru Dhanda's coach's wild celebration after historic gold medal at Asian Games; breaks umbrella
Earlier the same day, Dhanda had already helped India secure silver in the women’s trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. The victory was especially remarkable because Dhanda had been hospitalised for three days just 10 days earlier and arrived in Japan with limited preparation.
Dhanda’s coach, Peter Wilson, a British 2012 Olympic double-trap gold medallist, could not contain his emotion. After Dhanda sealed the gold, Wilson broke an umbrella in wild celebration before wrapping the composed shooter in the Indian tricolour.
Meanwhile, the gold ends a 48-year wait for an Indian individual trap title at the Asian Games, the previous one having been won by Randhir Singh in 1978. She became one of the standout performers for the Indian contingent on Day 11.
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