Aichi-Nagoya [Japan]: Neeru Dhanda's Asian Games gold came after a race against time. Hospitalised in Delhi for three days just 10 days before the competition, the Indian shooter arrived in Japan with little preparation but held her nerve in challenging conditions to win the women's individual trap title, India's trap coach Peter Wilson revealed on Tuesday.
“It has been a long and difficult journey for her. Neeru was very unwell and was in hospital in Delhi for three days just 10 days ago. She arrived in Japan late with our physiotherapist Ashwini and had virtually no training before the competition. She managed only half a day of training before moving into the pre-event preparation, so it was certainly a very challenging situation,” Wilson told ANI after Dhanda's gold-medal-winning performance.
"And then she just hung in there from the very first target. She knows herself well. She has a strong process. And so, one day after another, she just grounded out. And then today, that final was a great example of the real Neeru," he added.
Wilson, the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist, said the achievement was the result of a collective effort despite the challenging conditions in Japan.
"It feels absolutely amazing. A huge team effort from everyone back in India to the team here in Japan. It's been amazing, and it's not been easy. The weather has been against us," he said.
Dhanda topped the individual qualification alongside Qatar's Ray Bassil before producing another composed performance in the eight-shooter final. She finished with 28 points in rainy conditions, opening with a perfect five out of five before recovering from one miss in the second series.
Asked if he was satisfied with Dhanda's performance, Wilson replied, "Very. I mean, when you consider that the men's gold was won on 26 and Neeru won on 28, she would have taken the overall. It's pretty impressive. And I would say the weather was just as difficult for both. I mean, she's a real star."
The gold marked a historic achievement as Dhanda became the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting.
The Indian Army Marksmanship Unit shooter, who is also a Naib Subedar, has enjoyed a breakthrough year. She won her maiden ISSF World Cup gold in women's trap in Lonato, Italy, in July before claiming the Asian Championship title.
Dhanda trains under Wilson, who won double trap gold for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics and was formerly ranked world No. 1 and held the world record in double trap. Indian Olympian Mansher Singh has also been her personal coach for the past six years, alongside his role as the NRAI's High-Performance Manager for shotgun.
Earlier on Tuesday, Dhanda also helped India win silver in the women's trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. The Indian trio finished with 328 points, behind China (346), while Kuwait took bronze with 325. Dhanda was India's best performer, scoring 118 out of 125.
(With inputs from ANI)
