Nagoya: Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai produced a remarkable turnaround under pressure to clinch the gold medal in the trap mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday, completing a memorable double for Neeru in Nagoya.
Qatar, meanwhile, bagged silver with a score of 32, while China (23) took bronze and Iran finished fourth.
This is Neeru’s second gold at the ongoing games, having clinched the women’s trap individual gold. Overall, this is her third medal in Aichi-Nagoya, as she was part of the trap women’s team silver. Overall, this is India’s third gold in shooting. India are currently eighth in the medal tally with nine gold, 21 silver and 27 bronze medals for a total of 57.
India had looked in serious trouble at the start of the four-team final, registering only six hits from their opening 10 shots. That left the pair at the bottom of the standings, with Qatar leading on seven while China and Iran were also on six.
What followed was an extraordinary recovery. Neeru and Kynan found their rhythm in the second series and did not miss a single target thereafter. Their flawless run took India to 16 hits after 20 shots, moving them level with Qatar and securing a place on the podium after Iran was eliminated with 12 hits.
The contest was briefly halted when a technical glitch affected the trap machinery at Station 1. After the interruption, the Indian pair resumed exactly where they had left off.
Another clean series kept India firmly in contention before a sensational final stretch changed the complexion of the medal race. Neeru and Kynan continued to hit every target put in front of them, eventually reaching 26 hits from 30 shots.
China, which had started the final strongly, was eliminated after the 30-shot stage with 23 hits. Qatar remained India’s principal challenger on 24, setting up a straight fight for the gold.
India’s composure held in the decisive phase. The pair finished with 34 hits, as the victory saw India break the Asian record of 33 set by Qatar in Doha earlier in 2026.
For Neeru, the triumph capped a stunning two-day run. She had won individual trap gold on Tuesday and returned to the range less than 24 hours later to claim another title, this time alongside Kynan.
Kynan, meanwhile, added a mixed team gold to India’s growing shooting haul at the Games.
The result was particularly significant given India’s difficult start. From six hits and last place after the opening series, Neeru and Kynan transformed the final through an unbroken sequence of successful shots, eventually finishing at the top of a tightly contested field.
(IANS)
