Mandaviya assures continued support to shooters Neeru and Esha

NEW DELHI: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday assured history-making trap shooter Neeru Dhanda and pistol ace Esha Singh of the government's continued support in their pursuit for excellence.

Neeru made history earlier this month by becoming the first Indian woman trap shooter to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup, achieving the milestone in Lonato, Italy.

Esha, a multiple medallist at the Asian Games and ISSF World Cups, continued her impressive rise on the international stage by winning the women's 25m pistol gold medal at the recently concluded ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China. The triumph marked her second World Cup gold in the event this year, further cementing her status as one of India's brightest shooting talents.

"The government is pushing hard and leaving no stone unturned to ensure you don't stay behind by any means in giving your best from every tournament," Mandaviya told the two athletes.

Neeru, 26, from Haryana's Jind district, also set a new national qualification record by scoring 121 out of a possible 125 before defeating former world champion Carole Cormenier of France in a thrilling World Cup final.

A Naib Subedar, Neeru trains at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in Mhow. Her World Cup triumph came on the back of another landmark achievement -- winning the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Championships in Kazakhstan.

The 21-year-old Esha, a double silver medallist at the Asian Games, overcame a formidable Chinese challenge to clinch the women's 25m pistol title in Hangzhou.

The victory added to an already impressive résume. Last year, she became the first Indian woman to win a World Championship medal in the women's 25m pistol, claiming bronze in Doha after earlier securing her maiden ISSF World Cup title in the 10m air pistol.

She also won the 25m pistol gold at the Munich World Cup with a world-record score of 43.

"Shooting is one of our highest priority disciplines and is a prominent medal-winning sport for us looking ahead to the 2028 LA Olympics, the 2030 Commonwealth Games and so on. All we want is medals from you also at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics," Mandaviya said, while felicitating the duo.

Mandaviya said the shooters' achievements reflect the success of India's long-term investment in athlete development through initiatives such as TOPS, National Centres of Excellence, Khelo India and scientific coaching support.

Arjuna Awardee Esha is a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group, while Neeru is a part of the TOPS Development group.

Both of them have also been Khelo India athletes and are currently preparing for the Asian Games in Japan.