India Secures Quarter-Final Spot in Men's Soft Tennis at Asian Games 2026

India's Journey to the Quarter-Finals

On Friday, India progressed to the quarter-finals of the men's team soft tennis event at the Asian Games 2026, finishing second in Group C with two victories out of three matches. The Indian team, comprising Jay Meena, Yogesh Choudhary, Aryan Thakur, Aniket Patel, and Om Yadav, kicked off their campaign with a decisive 3-0 win against Laos, but faced a setback with a 0-3 loss to Chinese Taipei.

Group Stage Highlights

India made a strong comeback in their last group match, defeating Mongolia 3-0, which secured their advancement to the knockout stage. Chinese Taipei led the group, while India finished in second place with a total of four points.

In the opening match against Laos, Meena and Choudhary dominated the doubles match, winning 5-0. Following this, Aryan Thakur achieved a straight 4-0 victory in singles, and Patel and Yadav rounded off the match with another 5-0 win in the second doubles encounter.

Challenging Match Against Chinese Taipei

The encounter with Chinese Taipei was more challenging. Meena and Choudhary lost the first doubles match 0-5, and although Thakur fought valiantly, he lost his singles match 1-4. Patel and Yadav were also defeated 1-5, resulting in a 3-0 loss for India.

Facing Mongolia with qualification at stake, India responded with determination, achieving another 3-0 victory to secure their second-place finish in the group.

Team Composition

The Indian team is a blend of seasoned players and newcomers, with Thakur, Yadav, and Choudhary making their debut at this prestigious continental multi-sport event.