Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, felicitated India's ISSF World Cup 2026 gold medallists Esha Singh and Naib Subedar Neeru Dhanda on July 30, 2026, following their landmark achievements in international shooting competitions.
Neeru Dhanda made history at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy, by becoming the first Indian woman trap shooter to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup. She created a new national record in qualification by scoring 121 out of 125 and defeated former World Champion Carole Cormenier of France in the final. A Naib Subedar in the Corps of Military Police, Neeru trains at the Indian Army's prestigious Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in Mhow. Her World Cup triumph follows her gold-medal performance at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championships.
Esha Singh continued her remarkable ascent by clinching the women's 25m pistol gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, marking her second World Cup gold of the year in this event. The 21-year-old edged past a strong Chinese challenge in the final. Last year, Esha became the first Indian woman to win a World Championship medal in women's 25m pistol with a bronze in Doha. She also won the 25m pistol gold at the Munich World Cup with a world-record score of 43 and is the reigning Asian Games double silver medallist.
During the interaction, Dr. Mandaviya assured both athletes of continued government support through initiatives such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), National Centres of Excellence, Khelo India, and scientific coaching support. Esha Singh is part of the TOPS Core group while Neeru Dhanda is in the TOPS Development group, and both have been Khelo India Athletes (KIAs). The Minister emphasized that shooting is one of India's highest priority disciplines and a prominent medal-winning sport looking ahead to the 2028 LA Olympics and 2030 Commonwealth Games, explicitly stating the government's expectation for medals at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Both athletes are currently preparing for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, with the government committing to ensure they lack no support in international competitions.