Jay Meena Secures India’s First Asian Games Soft Tennis Medal

Jay Meena claimed a historic bronze in the men’s singles soft tennis event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, marking India’s first-ever podium finish in the sport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the athlete on Wednesday, highlighting the achievement as a defining moment for the sport’s growth across the country.

Editorial·September 23, 2026·reads: 475

Jay Meena Secures India’s First Asian Games Soft Tennis Medal

Meena’s path to the medal podium concluded in the semi-finals against Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka. Despite a difficult start that saw him drop the first three sets, the Indian competitor mounted a spirited comeback by clinching the fourth and fifth sets. Kurosaka eventually regained control, closing out the match with a 4-1 victory in the sixth set to finish with a 3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4 scoreline, as reported by ESPN. His spot in the semi-finals was secured following a hard-fought win over the Philippines’ Sherwin Nuguit.

This success arrives during a broad surge for the Indian contingent in Aichi-Nagoya. Alongside Meena’s breakthrough, Mirabai Chanu earned silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category, and both men’s and women’s skeet teams added bronze medals to the tally. With these performances, India holds 11 medals, currently sitting 12th in the overall standings while China maintains the lead with 75.