Who is Jay Meena? Soft Tennis player creates History for India with Bronze at Asian Games 2026?

India's Jay Meena has created history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning the silver medal in the men's singles soft tennis event.

Meena's landmark run ended with a 1-4 defeat against Japan's Takuya Kurosaka in the semi-final on Wednesday, but his achievement marks India's first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis, as qualifying for semifinals assure Bronze medals.

Meena fought hard against the Japanese home favourite. After Kurosaka took control of the contest, the Indian produced a strong response in the fifth game, winning it 6-4 to keep his hopes alive. However, Kurosaka closed out the match to book his place in the gold-medal contest.

The result nevertheless gives Meena a historic silver and adds another medal to India's growing tally at the Games.

The 26-year-old had booked his place in the semi-finals after a dramatic 4-3 quarter-final victory over the Philippines' Sherwin Nuguit. The win had already guaranteed India its first-ever Asian Games medal in the discipline.

Who is Jay Meena?

Jay Meena hails from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, and has emerged as one of the country's leading names in the sport. Born on September 20, 2000, Meena initially dreamed of becoming a cricketer before discovering soft tennis at school, where he first worked as a ball boy before taking up the sport himself.

His progress was rapid, and he began competing internationally as a teenager. Meena represented India at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, reaching the singles quarter-finals at Hangzhou. He won gold at the 2022 National Games and became the national singles champion in 2025.

Meena also made history at the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championships, winning India's first medal at the competition - a mixed-doubles bronze with Aadhya Tiwari.

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What is Soft Tennis?

Soft tennis is a racket sport that originated in Japan and is played on a court similar to a conventional tennis court. The biggest difference is the equipment: instead of the hard felt-covered ball used in regular tennis, soft tennis uses a lighter, air-filled rubber ball. The rackets are also lighter and more flexible.

The sport can be played in singles and doubles, with doubles particularly popular. At the Asian Games, soft tennis features men's and women's singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team competitions. The sport made its Asian Games debut at the 1994 Hiroshima Games.

For India, Meena's silver is a breakthrough moment in a discipline where the country had never previously reached the Asian Games podium. His performance in Nagoya has now put Indian soft tennis firmly in the spotlight.