Asian Championship gold medallist Neeru Dhanda underlined her consistency on the domestic circuit with a composed gold medal performance in the women’s trap event at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Monday.
Competing in a strong final that featured experienced internationals and emerging talents, Neeru showed remarkable control under pressure to finish on top with 41 hits. The narrow one-shot margin highlighted the intensity of the contest, with Delhi’s Kirti Gupta pushing her all the way before settling for silver with 40 hits. Madhya Pradesh’s Pragati Dubey completed the podium, securing the bronze medal with 32 hits.
Neeru’s gold capped a solid overall campaign that began in qualification, where the margins were equally tight. Pragati Dubey had topped the qualification round with an impressive score of 117, setting the early benchmark for the field. Neeru followed closely behind with 114, while Olympian Rajeshwari Kumari finished third with 113. Delhi’s Addya Katyal placed fourth with 112, as Preeti Rajak (111+1) and Kirti Gupta (111) rounded off the top six, their final positions determined through shoot-off scores.
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The final itself saw momentum shifts at every stage. Addya Katyal narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth with 27 hits, while Preeti Rajak placed fifth with 21. Rajeshwari Kumari, one of India’s most experienced trap shooters, had a difficult final and finished sixth with 17 hits. Amidst the fluctuations, Neeru’s ability to maintain rhythm and recover from misses proved decisive, allowing her to edge past Kirti in the closing stages.
The junior men’s trap event also delivered a compelling contest, with Aryavansh Tyagi rising to the occasion in the final. Tyagi shot an impressive 42 to claim the gold medal, showcasing maturity beyond his years. Punjab’s Keshav Chauhan secured the silver with 37, while Uttar Pradesh’s Zuhair Khan took bronze with 30.
Zuhair had been the standout performer in qualification, topping the field with a superb score of 120. Aryan Singh followed with 118 but could not convert his form into a podium finish, ending fifth in the final with 21 hits. Aryavansh Tyagi and Haryana’s Arjun both shot 115 in qualification, with Tyagi advancing ahead via a shoot-off. Keshav Chauhan (113) and Manitwa Singh Rawat (112) completed the finalist line-up. In the final, Manitwa finished fourth with 27, while Arjun placed sixth with 14 hits.
Team events saw Madhya Pradesh assert its depth in women’s trap, clinching the gold medal with a combined score of 339. The trio of Pragati Dubey, Neeru Dhanda and Manisha Keer delivered consistent rounds to comfortably stay ahead of the competition. Delhi claimed silver with 333 through Addya Katyal, Kirti Gupta and Bhavya Tripathi, while Punjab secured the bronze with 319, thanks to Rajeshwari Kumari, Pukhraj Kaur Chahal and Krishika Joshi.
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In the junior men’s trap team event, Haryana emerged victorious with an aggregate score of 336, powered by Arjun, Lakshya Atree and Prikshit Arya. Gujarat finished second with 327, represented by Aryan Singh, Bakhtyar Uddin Mohamadmuzahid and Manavrajsinh Rajendrasinh Chudasama, while Rajasthan claimed bronze with 326 through Udhav Singh Rathore, Prithviraj Singh Rathore and Vinay Pratap Singh C.
Delhi also topped the podium in the junior women’s trap team event, with Addya Katyal, Bhavya Tripathi and Ananya Yaduvanshi combining for a winning total of 323. Tamil Nadu took silver with 295, while Rajasthan secured bronze with 274.
Overall, the trap events at the 68th NSCC highlighted the growing competitiveness across categories, with Neeru Dhanda’s gold standing out as a reminder of her status as one of India’s most reliable performers on the national stage.
