Jay Meena scripted history on Wednesday, 23 September in Nagoya, clinching India's first-ever medal in men's soft tennis at the Asian Games. The Madhya Pradesh athlete ended his campaign with a bronze after losing to Takuya Kurosaka of Japan 2-4 in the semifinal, a result that nonetheless cements his name in Indian sporting history.

The Comeback That Sealed the Medal

Meena's path to the podium ran through a nerve-shredding quarter-final against Sherwin Nuguit. Trailing 3-5 in the decisive final game, he clawed back four consecutive points to win the set and take the match 4-3. That dramatic recovery earned him a semifinal berth — and, ultimately, the bronze. In the last four, Kurosaka proved a step too far, but the outcome did not diminish what Meena had already achieved.

From Cricket Fan to Asian Games Medallist

Meena's journey into soft tennis was, by his own account, largely accidental. He had aspired to become a cricketer before enrolling at Pioneer Public School in Dewas, where a soft tennis court caught his eye. He started as a ball boy, curiosity giving way to competition. By the age of 14, he was already representing India in Japan — the sport's global stronghold — at the international level.

A Career Built on Firsts

Meena's rise has been marked by a series of milestones. He won gold in men's singles at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and helped Madhya Pradesh collect medals in the Men's Team and Doubles events. By 2025, he had added the National Champion title in men's singles to his résumé.

His international breakthroughs came in quick succession. At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, he reached the men's singles quarter-finals and represented India in the team event. In 2024, partnering Aadhya Tiwari, he won India's first-ever medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships — a bronze in mixed doubles. A year later, at the 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships, he became the first Indian to win a medal at the continental level, reaching the men's singles semis and securing bronze. He went on to collect four medals at that continental event.

Third Asian Games, Biggest Result

The Nagoya 2026 podium finish is Meena's third Asian Games appearance, following stints at Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022. He is a TAGG (Target Asian Games Group) athlete, a programme designed to groom India's medal prospects for the continent's premier multi-sport event. This bronze is the programme's latest dividend in a discipline where India had previously gone empty-handed.

What It Means for Indian Soft Tennis

Soft tennis, widely popular in East and Southeast Asia, has long been a medal desert for India at the Asian Games. Meena's bronze opens a new chapter — and is likely to sharpen focus on grassroots development of the sport at the school and district levels. With his track record of firsts, Meena appears well-positioned to go further at the next edition.