A World Cup Bronze! Vivaan Kapoor, Neeru Dhanda Shine For India At Shotgun World Cup

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 08:30 IST

Vivaan Kapoor and Neeru Dhanda won mixed team trap bronze in Almaty as India finished with its only medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026.

India signed off from the ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2026 with a bronze medal — one that arrived dramatically on the final day thanks to Vivaan Kapoor and Neeru Dhanda.

The Indian duo clinched bronze in the mixed team trap event after finishing third in a tense four-team medal round on Sunday in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

How It Happened

Vivaan and Neeru shot 24/30 in the final phase to secure India’s only podium finish of the competition. Chinese Taipei’s Kun-Pi Yang and Wan-Yu Liu stormed to gold with a world-record score of 36/40, while Italy’s Mauro De Filippis and Silvana Maria Stanco claimed silver with 33.

The Indian pair had actually been level with the Italians after the third series, but were edged out because of a lower qualification-round score, a rule that ultimately denied them a shot at silver or gold.

Earlier in qualifying, Vivaan and Neeru had impressed with a combined score of 143, finishing second behind the Italian pair, who topped the standings with 145. India’s second team, Ahvar Rizvi and Pragati Dubey, struggled with 130 and ended 23rd, well outside qualification contention.

Neeru’s First Taste Of WC Silverware

The medal carried extra significance for Neeru Dhanda, who secured the first ISSF World Cup medal of her career. The Haryana shooter had already made headlines last year after becoming the 2025 Asian champion in women’s trap.

For Vivaan Kapoor, it marked a welcome return to the podium. The bronze was his fourth ISSF World Cup medal overall, but his first since 2022.

India’s Outing At Almaty

India, however, endured an otherwise disappointing campaign in Almaty.

None of the country’s skeet shooters, including Olympians Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmed Khan, and Raiza Dhillon, managed to reach the finals in their respective individual events. And to make things worse, the men’s trap shooters also failed to break into the medal rounds.

Neeru did make the women’s individual trap final earlier in the competition but finished seventh among the eight finalists.

The Almaty meet was the second of four ISSF Shotgun World Cups scheduled this year and featured 284 shooters from 42 countries — with the next World Cup set to take place in Lonato, Italy, in July.

News sports other-sports A World Cup Bronze! Vivaan Kapoor, Neeru Dhanda Shine For India At Shotgun World Cup

Read More