Jay Meena has created a new chapter in Indian sporting history at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026. The soft tennis player from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, became India’s first Asian Games medallist in the sport after reaching the men’s singles semifinal.
Meena entered the semifinal after a closely contested quarterfinal against the Philippines’ Sherwin Nuguit. The Indian eventually won the match 4 3, with the contest going down to the final stages. Reaching the last four guaranteed Meena a medal because the four semifinalists in the event receive podium finishes.
His historic campaign continued in the semifinal against Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka. Meena made a strong comeback after falling behind early in the match, but Kurosaka eventually won 4 2. The result ended Meena’s challenge for a place in the gold medal match, but it confirmed his bronze medal and gave India its first Asian Games medal in soft tennis.
Meena’s journey to the Asian Games podium is notable because soft tennis was not his first sporting ambition. Growing up in Dewas, he initially wanted to become a cricketer. His introduction to soft tennis happened at Pioneer Public School, where he came across a soft tennis court.
At first, Meena watched other players rather than participating himself. He later began helping as a ball boy. His growing curiosity about the sport eventually encouraged him to pick up the racket and start playing.
What began as an opportunity to observe the sport gradually developed into a serious sporting career. Meena progressed through school and district competitions before moving to the state and national levels. According to reports, he was already competing internationally in Japan by the age of 14.
Meena’s development continued over the following years. He represented India at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. At the 2022 Asian Games, he reached the men’s singles quarterfinals.
The same year was also important for his domestic career. Meena won the men’s singles gold medal at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022. He subsequently established himself as one of India’s leading soft tennis players and became the national men’s singles champion in 2025.
His international record also includes important milestones before the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games. In 2024, Meena partnered Aadhya Tiwari in mixed doubles at the World Soft Tennis Championships. The pair won a bronze medal, giving India its first medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships.
Meena continued to make progress at the continental level in 2025. At the Asian Soft Tennis Championships, he became the first Indian to win a medal in the competition after securing bronze in the men’s singles event. He was also part of other Indian medal winning campaigns at the tournament.
The Aichi Nagoya Asian Games therefore represented another significant stage in Meena’s career. Before the Games, India had participated in soft tennis but had never won a medal at the Asian Games. Meena’s progress to the semifinal changed that record.
His quarterfinal against Nuguit was particularly important. Meena had to overcome several changes in momentum during the seven game contest. After the Indian secured the decisive victory, his semifinal place automatically assured India of its maiden Asian Games medal in the discipline.
The semifinal against Kurosaka was a different challenge. The Japanese player established an early advantage, but Meena fought back and won the fourth and fifth games to reduce the deficit. Kurosaka responded in the sixth game and secured a 4 2 victory to move into the final.
Although Meena could not advance to the gold medal match, the semifinal result gave him the bronze medal. His achievement has brought increased attention to soft tennis in India and highlighted the progress made by Indian players in the sport.
Soft tennis has similarities to conventional tennis but is played with a hollow rubber ball and equipment designed specifically for the discipline. The sport originated in Japan and later spread across several Asian countries. It became part of the Asian Games programme in 1994.
The scoring system also differs from traditional lawn tennis. Soft tennis does not use the familiar 15, 30 and 40 scoring system. Instead, players compete to win games through a different points structure, while singles matches are played as best of seven games.
Meena’s success comes after years of international exposure and preparation. He has been part of national coaching programmes and competed at multiple international events. His participation in three Asian Games has also given him experience at the highest continental level.
For Meena, the Aichi Nagoya campaign has therefore combined experience gained from previous competitions with a breakthrough result. His earlier quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 Asian Games was followed by a historic semifinal run in 2026.
His story is also notable because of how different his current sporting career is from his childhood ambition. A youngster from Dewas who once wanted to become a cricketer eventually found a career in a less widely followed racket sport. From watching players at a school court and working as a ball boy, he progressed to national champion and international medallist.
The bronze medal at Aichi Nagoya is now the biggest Asian Games milestone in Meena’s career and a first for Indian soft tennis. His result also provides greater visibility to a sport that has traditionally received less attention in India compared with cricket, badminton and lawn tennis.
Jay Meena’s Asian Games journey has ended with a historic bronze medal. His victory over Nuguit and semifinal appearance against Kurosaka have placed his name in the record books as India’s first Asian Games soft tennis medallist.