Jay Meena Makes History with India's First Asian Games Medal in Soft Tennis
Historic Achievement for Indian Soft Tennis
On September 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Jay Meena, who made history by securing India's inaugural Asian Games medal in soft tennis. Meena clinched a bronze in the men's singles event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
The Prime Minister's Office took to social media to celebrate this milestone, stating, "A remarkable achievement for Indian Soft Tennis! Congratulations to Jay Meena for winning Bronze in the Men’s Individual event, marking India’s first-ever medal in Soft Tennis at the Asian Games. This accomplishment opens a new chapter for the sport in India. May this inspire many young athletes to pursue Soft Tennis and excel. Best wishes for his future endeavors: PM @narendramodi."
Meena's journey in the tournament concluded in the semi-finals, where he faced Japan's Takuya Kurosaka, losing with a score of 2-4. Despite dropping the first three sets, Meena fought back to win the fourth and fifth sets, narrowing the gap to 2-3.
However, Kurosaka clinched the sixth set 4-1, finalizing the match with a score of 3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4, as reported by ESPN.
Earlier, Meena secured his semi-final spot by defeating Sherwin Nuguit from the Philippines in a thrilling quarter-final match. With all semi-finalists guaranteed a medal, his victory ensured a historic podium finish for India in this sport.
India had a successful day overall, with Mirabai Chanu earning silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting event, while both the men's and women's skeet teams brought home bronze medals.
The women's hockey team achieved a remarkable 20-1 victory against Thailand in their Pool B match, and both kabaddi teams also celebrated wins. In squash, Abhay Singh and Tanvi Khanna advanced in their respective singles competitions.
Additionally, India secured spots in multiple rowing and canoe sprint finals and semi-finals, and mixed doubles pairs progressed in table tennis.
In boxing, Ankush triumphed over Bahrain's Hamsa Vogel in the men's 80kg round of 32.
As of now, India's medal tally stands at 11, placing the nation 12th in the overall standings, while China leads with 75 medals.