{
  "id": 11432410,
  "title": "Neeru Dhanda flies back to Japan within a day to be India's flag bearer at Asian Games closing ceremony",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/neeru-dhanda-flies-back-to-japan-within-a-day-to-be-indias-flag",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T11:58:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/asian-games-2026/neeru-dhanda-flies-back-to-japan-within-a-day-to-be-indias-flag-bearer-at-asian-games-closing-ceremony/articleshow/134638807.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Neeru Dhanda, a 27-year-old trap shooter from India, returned triumphantly home from the Asian Games 2026 after winning two gold medals and a silver. With this outstanding performance, she stood out among the country's top performers in Aichi-Nagoya. However, just a day after returning to her village in Jind, the authorities reached out to her once again. Former Indian shooter and India’s deputy chef de mission Anjali Bhagwat informed Neeru that she had been selected to carry the Indian flag at the closing ceremony of the Asian Games 2026.\n\nIrritated by her weak condition following a bout of viral fever, Neeru had returned to India earlier. Despite feeling unwell, she could not let the opportunity slip away. Within hours, she packed her bags and rushed back to the airport. \"I am at the airport. The flight is in the next hour. I got a call from Anjali Bhagwat ma'am. She has asked me to be the flag bearer in the closing ceremony. It's a big honor for me. I didn't want to let it go,\" Neeru told TOI. Her parents were overjoyed to hear the news.\n\nThe Asian Games 2026 will see Neeru fly back to Nagoya on Saturday, where she will carry the Indian flag during the closing ceremony on Sunday. Neeru's medal tally included two golds and a silver, achieved through a women's individual trap gold, a silver in the women's trap team event, and a gold in the trap mixed team event. These achievements came after a challenging period for Neeru, who suffered from viral fever shortly before the Asian Games and required hospitalization. Despite returning weak from the illness, she still managed to compete in Japan and return home with three medals.",
  "summary": "Neeru Dhanda’s Asian Games campaign was already one to remember, with the Indian shooter returning from Aichi-Nagoya with 2 gold medals and a silver despite battling viral fever. A day after reaching home in Jind, Neeru received another call - this time informing her that she had been chosen as India’s women’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony.",
  "key_points": [
    "Neeru Dhanda wins two golds and a silver at Asian Games 2026",
    "Selected as flag bearer for India's closing ceremony",
    "Returns to Japan within a day to fulfill honor"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Asian Games hockey official Sangha leaves Japan amid sexual misconduct complaints",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/asian-games-hockey-official-sangha-leaves-japan-amid-sexual",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:55:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}