Shivraj Cheers India's Women Trap Team Silver at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated shooters Manisha Keer, Neeru Dhanda and Aashima Ahlawat on winning the Women's Trap Team silver medal at Asian Games 2026, praising their combined effort and wishing them continued success.
Key Takeaways
Manisha Keer , Neeru Dhanda , and Aashima Ahlawat won the Silver Medal in the Women's Trap Team event at Asian Games 2026 .
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan publicly congratulated the trio on 29 September 2026 via X.
Chouhan credited the team's 'combined' effort as key to their podium finish.
India's shooting contingent has historically been a consistent medal contributor at continental multi-sport events.
The silver adds to India's overall tally at Asian Games 2026 , with remaining shooting events still to conclude.
India's shooters delivered again on the continental stage — and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made sure the moment did not go unsung. On Tuesday, 29 September 2026, Chouhan took to X to congratulate Manisha Keer, Neeru Dhanda, and Aashima Ahlawat on clinching the Silver Medal in the Women's Trap Team event at the Asian Games 2026.
Three shooters, one podium finish
Chouhan praised the trio for combining 'superbly' to put India on the podium, extending his best wishes for 'many more memorable performances ahead.' The Women's Trap Team event demands extraordinary consistency across rounds, with each member's score feeding into a cumulative team total — meaning the silver reflects a collective, sustained effort rather than a single standout shot.
Manisha Keer has been a familiar face on the international trap circuit, having represented India at multi-sport continental events before. Neeru Dhanda and Aashima Ahlawat bring depth to an Indian women's trap programme that has steadily grown in competitive range. Together, the three formed a combination that held firm under Asian Games pressure.
Shooting's outsized role in India's Asian Games haul
The congratulations arrive against a well-established pattern: India consistently leans on its shooting contingent to pad the medal tally at continental multi-sport events. The sport has historically delivered a disproportionate share of India's podium finishes at the Asian Games, spanning rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines. A team silver in Women's Trap adds another chapter to that record.
For a Cabinet minister known for his vocal support of athletes — Chouhan has regularly used social media to amplify sportspersons from Madhya Pradesh and beyond — the post is a characteristic gesture, but the result it celebrates is the real story. India's shooters are still firing.
Point of View
But it points to something more structural: India's investment in shooting as a medal-production engine at continental events is paying dividends across shotgun disciplines, not just the traditionally dominant rifle and pistol categories. For the BJP government, which has attached significant political capital to India's sporting rise, each Asian Games podium is both a sporting result and a soft-power data point. Chouhan's prompt acknowledgement also signals the government's interest in recognising women athletes in individual-skill sports — a space that still receives less mainstream attention than cricket or athletics. Whether this silver translates into increased institutional support and selection priority for the Women's Trap programme is the question worth watching.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Manisha Keer, Neeru Dhanda and Aashima Ahlawat?
They are Indian competitive shooters specialising in trap events. The three combined as a team to win the Women's Trap Team silver medal at Asian Games 2026.
What is the Women's Trap Team event in shooting?
It is a shotgun discipline in which teams of shooters attempt to hit clay targets launched from a trap machine. Team scores are the aggregate of individual members' performances across rounds.
What did Shivraj Singh Chouhan say about the Asian Games silver?
Chouhan congratulated the trio on X, saying they had 'combined superbly to put India on the podium' and extended his best wishes for 'many more memorable performances ahead.'
How has India performed in shooting at the Asian Games historically?
Shooting has consistently been one of India's strongest medal-producing sports at the Asian Games, contributing across rifle, pistol, and shotgun events at past editions.
Which Asian Games 2026 shooting events are still to come for India?
As of 29 September 2026, further individual and team shooting events remain on the schedule, with the Indian contingent still competing across multiple disciplines.
