Jay Meena wins India's first Asian Games soft tennis medal with men's singles bronze
Jay Meena claimed India's first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis on Wednesday, securing bronze in men's singles after a 2-4 semifinal loss to Japan's Takuya Kurosaka at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
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Jay Meena scripted history on Wednesday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, becoming the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in soft tennis by claiming bronze in men's singles.
The bronze was secured a round earlier in a dramatic quarterfinal against the Philippines' Sherwin Nuguit.
Meena, a 26-year-old from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, first encountered the sport as a ball boy at Pioneer Public School after being drawn to a soft tennis court while aspiring to a career in cricket.
Jay Meena scripted history on Wednesday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, becoming the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in soft tennis by claiming bronze in men's singles. His campaign ended in the semifinals against Japan's Takuya Kurosaka, a 2-4 defeat decided over six sets with a scoreline of 3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4 in a 45-minute contest. Because all four semifinalists were guaranteed a medal, Meena's place in the last four had already locked in the historic podium finish before the semifinal began.
Quarterfinal comeback that sealed the medal
The bronze was secured a round earlier in a dramatic quarterfinal against the Philippines' Sherwin Nuguit. Meena was trailing 3-5 in the final game and clawed back four straight points to take the match 4-3, advancing to the semifinals and guaranteeing India a place on the soft tennis medal table. He credited the comeback to resilience after earlier setbacks at the Games, including a quarterfinal loss to Indonesia in the team event on September 18 and a mixed doubles defeat on September 20.
Career arc from ball boy to Asian Games medalist
Meena, a 26-year-old from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, first encountered the sport as a ball boy at Pioneer Public School after being drawn to a soft tennis court while aspiring to a career in cricket. He rose through school, district, state and national ranks, representing India internationally in Japan by the age of 14. His résumé includes the men's singles gold at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022, a 2024 World Soft Tennis Championships mixed doubles bronze with Aadhya Tiwari, and a 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships men's singles bronze that made him the first Indian to medal at the continental event. Wednesday's bronze came on his third Asian Games appearance, after Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.
Reaction and support structure
Speaking after the match, Meena described his Aichi-Nagoya campaign as a "rollercoaster" and dedicated the medal to his coaches, the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India, the Sports Authority of India and the central government. He also highlighted dietary challenges for vegetarian Indian athletes on the international circuit, saying the squad relied on ready-to-eat meals, theplas, salads and corn during the Games and would benefit from an Indian chef traveling with the team. He is part of the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) program.
