Key Highlights
- Flag-bearer: Neeru Dhanda will carry India's flag at the Asian Games closing ceremony on Sunday, October 4.
- Three medals: She won gold in individual trap, gold in trap mixed team and silver in women's trap team.
- Two Asian records: 28 in the individual final and 34 in the mixed team event.
- Ceremony timing: 2:30 pm to 4 pm IST at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Neeru Dhanda's remarkable Asian Games will end with the nation's flag in her hands. The trap shooter has been named India's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday.
The 27-year-old won three medals at the Games, two golds and a silver, emerging as one of India's standout performers.
Neeru's Medal Haul
| Event | Result | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Women's trap team | Silver | With Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer; score of 328, behind China |
| Women's trap individual | Gold | First Indian woman to win it; Asian record 28 in final after topping qualification with 118 |
| Trap mixed team | Gold | With Kynan Chenai; 34 hits, breaking Qatar's Asian record of 33 |
Back on the Range Within 24 Hours
The mixed team gold showed her consistency. Less than 24 hours after her historic individual win, Neeru returned to the range with Kynan Chenai. The pair recovered from a difficult start to finish with 34 hits, setting a new Asian record.
Why It Matters: From a Hospital Bed to the Flag
Neeru's honour is all the more striking given how her Games began. She had been hospitalised just 10 days before the competition, unable to train during the camp, and said she survived on water alone for five days. Within days of returning to the range, she was setting Asian records.
Choosing her as flag-bearer recognises not only her medals, but a comeback that captured the spirit of India's campaign.
Part of India's Women-Led Golden Run
Neeru's achievements sit alongside other standout performances by Indian women at these Games, including the women's compound archery team's world-record-equalling gold and Lovlina Borgohain's 75kg boxing gold on her birthday.
What's Next for Neeru
After Nagoya, her focus shifts to the ISSF World Championship in Doha from November 1 to 14, where she aims to win an Olympic quota, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as her long-term target.
Closing Ceremony Details
- Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Venue: Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium
- Time: 2:30 pm to 4 pm IST
The Bottom Line
Three medals, two Asian records and a recovery from illness have made Neeru Dhanda the face of India's Asian Games campaign. On Sunday, she will lead the contingent out one last time, with the flag held high.
With inputs from IANS.
Key Highlights
- Flag-bearer: Neeru Dhanda will carry India's flag at the Asian Games closing ceremony on Sunday, October 4.
- Three medals: She won gold in individual trap, gold in trap mixed team and silver in women's trap team.
- Two Asian records: 28 in the individual final and 34 in the mixed team event.
- Ceremony timing: 2:30 pm to 4 pm IST at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Neeru Dhanda's remarkable Asian Games will end with the nation's flag in her hands. The trap shooter has been named India's flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday.
The 27-year-old won three medals at the Games, two golds and a silver, emerging as one of India's standout performers.
Neeru's Medal Haul
| Event | Result | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Women's trap team | Silver | With Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer; score of 328, behind China |
| Women's trap individual | Gold | First Indian woman to win it; Asian record 28 in final after topping qualification with 118 |
| Trap mixed team | Gold | With Kynan Chenai; 34 hits, breaking Qatar's Asian record of 33 |
Back on the Range Within 24 Hours
The mixed team gold showed her consistency. Less than 24 hours after her historic individual win, Neeru returned to the range with Kynan Chenai. The pair recovered from a difficult start to finish with 34 hits, setting a new Asian record.
Why It Matters: From a Hospital Bed to the Flag
Neeru's honour is all the more striking given how her Games began. She had been hospitalised just 10 days before the competition, unable to train during the camp, and said she survived on water alone for five days. Within days of returning to the range, she was setting Asian records.
Choosing her as flag-bearer recognises not only her medals, but a comeback that captured the spirit of India's campaign.
Part of India's Women-Led Golden Run
Neeru's achievements sit alongside other standout performances by Indian women at these Games, including the women's compound archery team's world-record-equalling gold and Lovlina Borgohain's 75kg boxing gold on her birthday.
What's Next for Neeru
After Nagoya, her focus shifts to the ISSF World Championship in Doha from November 1 to 14, where she aims to win an Olympic quota, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as her long-term target.
Closing Ceremony Details
- Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Venue: Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium
- Time: 2:30 pm to 4 pm IST
The Bottom Line
Three medals, two Asian records and a recovery from illness have made Neeru Dhanda the face of India's Asian Games campaign. On Sunday, she will lead the contingent out one last time, with the flag held high.
With inputs from IANS.