How Neeru Dhanda from a BPL family broke poverty with a borrowed weapon and won India’s gold

When Neeru Dhanda’s mother came to know that her daughter won it first gold medal at the Asian Gamesshe didn’t watch the competition on TV or watch the overview on her smart phone. He has neither of those two. Dhandha’s mother was in a ration shop, collecting wheat quota from her family and clutching her below poverty line (BPL) ration card, The Tech Word News reported.

Neeru Dhanda (26) made history by winning two gold medals at the Asian Games.

On Tuesday, she became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold at the Asian Games in trap shooting. Randhir Singh was India’s only individual Asian Games gold medalist in trap shooting, which he achieved in 1978. Randhir Singh died earlier this year.

On Wednesday, shooter Jindborn added another gold, will team up with Kynan Chenai win a mixed trap. Notably, Chenai is the son-in-law of Randhir Singh.

A representative of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) told India Today that Neeru Dhanda’s journey from a humble background to the ranks of India’s top shooters is a testament to her exceptional talent.

It is also a remarkable story of talent support by the Indian Army.

HOW NEERU DHANDA STARTED DOUBLE-HEADED BLOCKWORK

The story of India’s latest shooting sensation did not involve a state-of-the-art shooting range or an imported custom shotgun costing millions. She started with a primitive family business world (side-by-side double-barreled shotgun), shooting tin cans. Her father is a farmer, and farmers normally keep such weapons to protect their crops.

Neeru Dhanda grew up without the resources that often make competitive shooting possible. Trap shooting requires expensive equipment, ammunition, regular access to shooting ranges, and constant training. For many young shooters, talent alone is never enough.

But Dhanda found a way inside.

Her cousin Lakshya Sheoran, an Asian Games medalist, started to excel in trap shooting. When Dhanda saw him, he also started practicing.

In the beginning, Dhanda didn’t even have her own weapon. Dhanda’s father told ANI that it was a borrowed gun which she used in the beginning.

AND worldor side-by-side shotguns, is significantly different from a sporting shotgun, which typically has an over-and-under barrel and several other specifications designed specifically for competition shooting that a civilian shotgun lacks.

These accidental can shots eventually took her to the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Shotgun World Cup in Lonato del Garda, Italy, where she became the first Indian woman to win a World Championship gold. She has now added two gold medals from the Asian Games to this journey.

NAIB SUBEDAR NEERU DHANDA BATTLED ILLNESS AHEAD OF ASIAN GAMES

Dhand’s journey is remarkable in several ways.

She is a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army and joined the Military Police Corps after the Army started recruiting women in the enlisted category. The military eventually became an important part of her development as a shooter. She trained at the Army Rifle Unit in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, which brings together some of the best shooters of the Indian Army in various shooting disciplines and calibers.

Ahead of the Asian Games, Dhanda also struggled with illnesses. She was with an infection and had little time to exercise during the national camp in New Delhi. Because of this, she arrived in Japan two days later for the Asian Games.

For an athlete competing at the highest level, disrupted preparation and late arrival can derail a campaign. But Dhanda won two golds instead.

So her story is not just about an athlete who discovered shooting. It is about how a sport often associated with expensive equipment and a privileged background created one of its greatest Indian successes by way of the military. Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth has lauded Naib Subedar Neeru Dhand of the Army Rifle Corps for becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in women’s trap at the ISSF World Shotgun Championship in Lonato, Italy. (Image: X)

WHAT IS THE INDIAN ARMY RIFLE UNIT THAT HAS HONED INTERNATIONAL SHOOTERS

The Indian Army has long played a significant role in the development of Indian shooting talent.

The Army Marksmanship Unit based in Mhow is one of the key marksmanship training centers in the country. It provides athletes with access to structured training, coaching and facilities needed to compete at national and international levels.

For talented shooters who may not have the financial resources to sustain the sport on their own, institutions such as the military can provide a vital avenue.

Several of India’s best-known marksmen have passed through the army’s marksmanship system. Olympic medalists like Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (retd) and Honorary Captain Vijay Kumar (retd) and Olympian Jitu Rai are among the names associated with the Army’s shooting programme.

The importance of such institutional support becomes clearer in a sport such as trap shooting.

A competitive shooter needs a firearm, ammunition, access to a shooting range, practice and regular competition. Ammunition alone can become a significant expense during years of training. For a young athlete from a humble family, these costs can determine whether talent ever develops into a career. Each imported ammo can cost up to Rs 200-300 each, depending on the brand.

For shooters without institutional sponsorship, a day at the range can cost Rs 20,000-30,000, with 100 rounds used in practice. Therefore, the sport is often restricted to those from wealthy backgrounds and was formerly associated with royalty.

Neeru Dhanda’s story shows what happens when this barrier is overcome.

From shooting cans with a primitive pistol, a girl from a humble farming family has risen to the top, now with two smoking barrels and two gold medals.

– The end