PUNE: Haryana’s Neeru Dhanda created history after becoming the first Indian woman trap shooter to win gold at the Word Cup as she topped the podium at ISSF event in Lonato, Italy, on Saturday. Neeru shot 27 to win the top medal and beat 2022 world champion Carole Cormenier of France (25) for silver and Italy’s Erica Sessa (19). The Jind shooter had become the first Indian woman trap shooter to win gold at the Asian Championships last year. Neeru, 26, qualified for the 8-woman final by shooting 121, a new national record, in the qualification round. The earlier record was 118, jointly held by Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyashi Singh and Bhavya Tripathi. Neeru, who has been training at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal, said she was determined to shoot well on Saturday. “I had trained in London for 10 days before coming here and I was shooting well in the training too. Today, I was confident of winning gold right from the beginning. Not even once I got nervous,” Neeru told TOI. “This medal will help me have confidence ahead of the important year, where quota places for the LA Games will be on offer. My next goal is to win a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics,” she said.
