Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Indian soft tennis player Jay Meena after he became the country’s first-ever Asian Games medallist in the sport.
“A historic achievement for Indian Soft Tennis! Congratulations to Jay Meena on winning Bronze in the Men’s Individual event and becoming India’s first-ever Asian Games medallist in Soft Tennis. His achievement marks a memorable new chapter for the sport in India. May this medal inspire many more youngsters to take up Soft Tennis and excel. Best wishes to him for the journey ahead,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
Meena secured the bronze after losing 2-4 to Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka in the men’s singles semifinal in Nagoya on Wednesday.
The Indian produced a notable comeback in the quarterfinals, overturning a 3-5 deficit in the deciding game against Sherwin Nuguit. Meena won the next four points to register a 4-3 victory and seal his place in the semifinals, while guaranteeing India its maiden Asian Games medal in soft tennis.
The bronze marks another milestone in Meena’s steadily developing career. Initially aspiring to become a cricketer, he was introduced to soft tennis after joining Pioneer Public School in Dewas. He first watched players on the court and later worked as a ball boy before taking up the sport himself.
He progressed through school and district-level competitions before moving to state and national events. By the age of 14, Meena was competing internationally in Japan, the birthplace of soft tennis.
The Madhya Pradesh player won the men’s singles gold at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and has since established himself as one of India’s leading soft tennis players.
On the international stage, Meena reached the men’s singles quarterfinals at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and also represented India in the team event. In 2024, he partnered Aadhya Tiwari to win a bronze in mixed doubles at the World Soft Tennis Championships, giving India its first medal at the tournament.
Meena also became the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Soft Tennis Championships in 2025, securing bronze in the men’s singles event. He subsequently won four medals at the continental championships.
Competing at his third Asian Games after appearances at Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022, Meena has now achieved the biggest milestone of his career by securing India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis.
(IANS Inputs)
