Nagoya, Sep 30 (IANS) Neeru Dhanda completed a remarkable treble of medals at the Asian Games as she and Kynan Chenai secured gold for India in the mixed team trap event, overcoming top-seeded Qatar in a tense gold-medal contest on Wednesday as NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo and general secretary Pawan Kumar Singh lauded the Indian trap shooters for their podium finishes.

The Indian pair entered the medal round as the lowest-ranked of the four finalists after finishing fourth in qualification with a score of 136. China, Qatar and Iran occupied the top three spots, leaving India with little margin for error in the knockout stages.

They responded with composure when it mattered most. Iran were the first team eliminated, finishing fourth, before China bowed out in the next stage to take bronze. That left India and Qatar to battle for gold, with the Indian duo holding their nerve through the decisive exchanges to edge the top seeds and seal the title.

NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said, “This has been an extraordinary Asian Games for our trap shooters, and today’s gold is the perfect finish. For Neeru to complete a treble of medals in the space of a few days — individual gold, team silver, and now mixed team gold — is a phenomenal achievement. To do it by beating a strong Qatari pair after starting fourth in qualification shows real character. Huge credit to Kynan as well, who continues to deliver for India across formats and editions of the Games.”

NRAI Secretary General Pawan Kumar Singh added, “What stood out today was the composure Neeru and Kynan showed after a modest qualification round. To fight back from fourth seed and beat Qatar in the gold-medal match, setting an Asian Games record along the way, speaks to the mental strength we’ve been building into our athletes. This kind of result across individual, team, and mixed team events shows the depth of our trap shooting program is finally translating into medals at the biggest stage.”

The victory also came with an Asian Games record, completing a remarkable turnaround after India’s modest start in qualification.

For Dhanda, the gold adds another chapter to one of the standout shooting campaigns at these Games. She had already won individual women’s trap gold on Tuesday, becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold in the discipline, before adding a team silver alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer.

The mixed team victory takes her medal tally to three across the individual, team and mixed team formats.

Chenai, meanwhile, added another Asian Games gold to his collection. He had won men’s team trap gold and individual bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, and Wednesday’s victory further underlined his consistency across editions and formats.

--IANS

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