Aichi-Nagoya, 30 September (H.S.): India’s Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Darius Chenai created history at the Asian Games 2026 by winning the gold medal in the trap mixed team event. The Indian pair hit 34 of 40 targets in the final to finish first with a new Asian record.

Qatar won the silver medal with 32 points, while China took bronze with 23. It was India’s first gold medal in the trap mixed team event at the Asian Games.

The victory marked Dhanda’s second gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. She had earlier won the women’s individual trap title, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games medal in the event. Dhanda scored 28 hits in the individual final to claim gold with an Asian record.

Dhanda has also enjoyed an impressive international run in 2026. She made history by winning gold in the women’s trap event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual World Cup gold in the discipline. She had also won gold at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championships.

Chenai, meanwhile, is one of India’s experienced trap shooters. Born in Hyderabad, he began shooting in 2003. His father, Darius Chenai, was also a national-level trap shooter. Kynan trained under four-time Olympian and renowned coach Mansher Singh.

Chenai rose to international prominence by winning gold in the men’s trap event at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. He secured an Olympic quota place for India in 2016 and represented the country in the men’s trap event at the Rio Olympics.

Chenai also produced a strong performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, winning gold in the men’s trap team event and bronze in the individual trap competition. He had earlier won gold in the men’s trap team event at the 2021 ISSF World Cup.

Dhanda and Chenai’s victory secured India’s first Asian Games gold medal in the trap mixed team event.

With this gold, India moved to eighth place in the medal standings, taking its overall tally to 57 medals, comprising nine gold, 21 silver and 27 bronze.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar