Anurag Thakur Hails Silver for India's Women Trap Shooting Trio
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur congratulated trap shooters Manisha Keer, Neeru and Aashima Ahlawat on winning a silver medal in the Women's Trap Team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, saluting the trio for making the nation proud.
Key Takeaways
Manisha Keer , Neeru , and Aashima Ahlawat won silver in the Women's Trap Team event at the 2026 Asian Games .
The Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister for Sports, publicly congratulated the trio on September 29, 2026 .
Trap shooting is a shotgun discipline and one of India's historically stronger medal-contributing events at the Asian Games.
The result adds to India's shooting contingent's continental record as Olympic qualification cycles loom.
Three Indian women walked off the trap shooting range at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with silver medals around their necks — and the congratulations were swift. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former Union Minister who oversaw India's sports portfolio, took to X on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 to celebrate the achievement of Manisha Keer, Neeru, and Aashima Ahlawat in the Women's Trap Team event.
Thakur's post read: 'Congratulations to our ace shooters Manisha Keer, Neeru and Aashima Ahlawat on securing the Silver Medal in the Women's Trap Team event at the Asian Games 2026. You've made the entire nation proud. Jai Hind.' The salute carried particular weight coming from a politician who spent years shaping India's sports policy from the ministry he once led.
Trap Shooting's Place in India's Asian Games Story
Shooting has long been one of India's most dependable medal disciplines at the quadrennial Games, and trap — a shotgun discipline requiring split-second reflexes as clay targets launch across the sky — has seen Indian athletes punch consistently on the continental stage. A team silver in the Women's Trap event extends that tradition, with three shooters combining their scores to place second against elite Asian competition. Manisha Keer, the most internationally recognised name among the trio, has been a fixture in India's shotgun shooting circuit across multiple major events. Alongside her, Neeru and Aashima Ahlawat delivered the consistency a team format demands — where a single missed clay can shift the podium order entirely.Thakur's Sporting Legacy and Why This Shout-Out Lands
As the minister who once held the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio, Thakur was directly involved in policy decisions that funded India's shooting infrastructure and athlete pipelines. His public congratulations are not merely ceremonial — they arrive with institutional memory of what it costs to build a programme that competes at this level. The #Cheer4Bharat hashtag, consistently deployed by Indian political voices during multi-sport events, frames individual achievements inside a larger national narrative. India's shooting contingent will next face scrutiny as Olympic qualification cycles intensify — and performances like this one in Aichi-Nagoya sharpen the case for continued investment in the discipline. Three women, one silver, a nation cheering — now the range resets, and the next target is gold.Point of View
Especially in disciplines where ministerial-era policy investments are visible. Shooting's consistent Asian Games returns make it a reliable showcase for India's sports infrastructure story. With Olympic qualification cycles approaching, performances like this one become leverage points in budget and selection debates. The post is routine in form but lands inside a genuine policy continuum.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won silver in Women's Trap Team at the 2026 Asian Games?
Manisha Keer , Neeru , and Aashima Ahlawat won the silver medal in the Women's Trap Team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
What is trap shooting?
Trap shooting is a shotgun discipline in which athletes fire at clay targets launched at high speed across the sky. It is contested individually and in team formats at major multi-sport events including the Asian Games and the Olympics.
Why did Anurag Thakur congratulate the shooters?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , a former Union Minister who held the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio, congratulated the trio on their silver medal, reflecting both national pride and his long-standing association with India's sports policy.
Is India strong in shooting at the Asian Games?
Yes, shooting has historically been one of India's more consistent medal-contributing disciplines at the Asian Games, with athletes competing across rifle, pistol, and shotgun formats including trap.
