Eight years ago, Lakshya Sheoran won an Asian Games silver in trap at Palembang. His grand welcome and felicitations on return were at par with what happened to successful sportspersons in Haryana but for one girl, it was the start of a dream.

Lakshya’s cousin Neeru Dhanda, a year younger, was inspired to follow in his footsteps. On Tuesday, she went one better in Aichi, changing the colour of the medal and becoming India’s first woman and only the second gold medalist in trap. And didn’t forget the beginning.

“I shifted to the MP Shooting Academy in Bhopal in 2019, only months after I had started shooting. Lakshya’s parents encouraged me a lot, I started with his father’s old gun only,” she admitted.

“His silver in 2018 inspired me to pick up shooting, before that I didn’t know anything about it. They took me there and the biggest attraction was that the academy provided a free gun and unlimited ammunition to practice. But it changed everything.”

The shooting academy, along with many more in the state, are the brainchild of former MP sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia and Neeru accepted her contribution to her success.

“She is still constantly in touch and sent a message this morning also. She has played a big role in my success,” she agreed.

The 26-year-old native of Jind district had become the first Indian woman World Cup winner in trap a few months ago and while she insisted that the two medals were at par, neither of them are the one she really craves for.

“Both are equal but everyone knows which is the biggest one. These are only steps leading up to that and I am preparing for that only now,” she declared, making it clear that her dreams go far beyond continental success.

It hasn’t been easy, both physically and financially. While the academy, SAI and the federation took care of the financial part in recent times, a severe bout of flu that led to hospitalisation just 10 days before the Games threatened to disrupt her entire campaign.

“The condition was very bad and I didn’t even train during the entire camp. For five days, I was only on liquids.. But my coach (Olympian) Mansher Singh kept motivating me.”

A naib subedar in the Indian Army, Neeru dedicated her medal to the Indian armed forces and Randhir Singh. “It wasn’t easy (winning gold) but I made it easy so that juniors training now and coming up will get the confidence and think if she can do it, anyone can do it.

“Hurdles don’t matter when you are committed to win for your family and your country. There is no bigger feeling that doing something for the country. I dedicate this medal to those who serve and lose their lives for the country,” she declared.

From shooting with a rusted, local gun to being a World Cup and Asian Games champion, Neeru’s come a long way in the past seven years. And she is only starting.