Jay Meena Makes History with India's First Soft Tennis Medal at Asian Games
Historic Achievement in Soft Tennis
File image of Jay Meena(Photo: @TheKhelIndia/X)
Nagoya, Sep 23: Jay Meena has made history by securing India's inaugural medal in soft tennis at the Asian Games, despite a semifinal defeat to Japan's Takuya Kurosaka with a score of 2-4.
Meena's journey to this milestone began with a remarkable comeback in the quarter-finals, where he was down 3-5 against Sherwin Nuguit but rallied to win four consecutive points, clinching the match 4-3 and advancing to the semifinals, ultimately finishing with a bronze medal.
Initially, Meena had aspirations of becoming a cricketer, but his path shifted when he discovered a soft tennis court at Pioneer Public School in Dewas. His curiosity led him to watch the games and eventually serve as a ball boy.
As he began to play, Meena quickly progressed through various competitions, reaching state and national levels. By the age of 14, he was already competing internationally in Japan, the birthplace of soft tennis.
He rose to prominence in the sport, winning a gold medal in men's singles at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and contributing to Madhya Pradesh's success in the Men's Team and Doubles events.
By 2025, he solidified his status as a top player by becoming the National Champion in Men’s Singles. His international success continued at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he reached the quarter-finals in Men’s Singles and participated in the Men’s Team event.
In 2024, he made history again by winning India's first medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships, earning bronze in mixed doubles alongside Aadhya Tiwari.
Meena further distinguished himself at the 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships, becoming the first Indian to win a medal at this continental event by reaching the men's singles semi-finals and securing bronze.
He achieved a total of four medals at the continental championships. As a TAGG (Target Asian Games Group) athlete, this marks Meena's third appearance at the Asian Games, having previously competed in Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.