Neeru Dhanda's Historic Asian Games Gold: A Triumph of Grit and Guidance
In a remarkable display of resilience and skill, Indian trap shooter Neeru Dhanda secured a historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, overcoming significant health challenges to achieve a milestone that had never before been reached by an Indian woman in her event.
What obstacles did Neeru Dhanda overcome to compete?
Neeru's path to glory was far from straightforward. Just days before the team's departure, she was struck down with a severe viral fever, casting doubt over her participation. Her coach, Mansher Singh, a four-time Olympian and India's high performance manager for shotgun events, took decisive action, moving her from the team hostel to a hospital to accelerate her recovery.
Speaking after the victory, Mansher recounted the ordeal:
It was an unusual situation where you train for an event for so many months and then you get viral fever, eight days before the team is leaving and you miss the whole camp. Then I took a call to move her from the hostel to hospital for faster recovery.
Within three days, doctors cleared Neeru to be discharged, and she departed for Japan the following day, with only a day and a half of practice before entering competition.
How did coach Mansher Singh motivate his ward?
Throughout her recovery, Mansher focused on gradual improvement.
On a daily basis, I was just monitoring and trying to motivate her and get her better by 10 per cent every day. And she took it very seriously, she worked hard and she agreed to go to the hospital, for me it was amazing that she was ready to do anything and everything to go to Japan.
When Neeru finally boarded the flight, the pair shared a moment of levity. Mansher recalled:
The moment she got on the plane we were laughing. She said 'I'm on the plane' and we had a big laugh. We never thought we would make the plane and miss the flight. So I told her 'since you made the flight, you have a bigger purpose, go with an open mind and take what result that comes. Just give your 100 per cent on every shot. Whatever the result comes, we'll accept it'.
What signs of promise had Neeru shown before the Asian Games?
While the gold medal may have surprised many, those close to her development saw it coming. Under Mansher's guidance over the past six years, Neeru had been steadily improving, with notable results emerging by 2025.
By 2025, she started showing the results. The graph was coming and her confidence levels were going up, her scores were going. Her performance in the finals was amazing. We knew if she enters the final, she has a very good chance of winning a medal, if not gold. She proved yet again that once she gets into the final, she's a real fighter.
Neeru led from the first day of qualification and entered the final as the number one ranked shooter, demonstrating the mental fortitude that has become her hallmark.
What lies ahead for Neeru Dhanda?
With the gold medal secured, Mansher has already set his sights on Neeru's next challenge: the World Championships in November, where Olympic quotas will be at stake. He noted her grounded nature:
She's very simple. She won't celebrate much. She will take rest for some time and then we'll sit down and gradually start bringing her back into shooting.
The coach also revealed a playful bet that underscored his high standards, joking that he would only receive her at the airport if she won gold, not silver or bronze. It is a standard that has clearly served both coach and athlete well.