Jay Meena dedicates historic soft tennis bronze at Asian Games to coaches, SAI and government

Meena scripted history by winning the countrys first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis, securing bronze in the mens singles event at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday.

Meenas campaign ended in the semi-finals, where he lost 2-4 to Japans Takuya Kurosaka. The Indian dropped the first three sets before fighting back to win the fourth and fifth sets and reduce the deficit to 2-3. However, Kurosaka won the sixth set 4-1 to seal the contest. The final scoreline was 3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4, according to ESPN.

Meena had earlier secured his place in the semi-finals by defeating the Philippines Sherwin Nuguit in a thrilling quarter-final. With all semi-finalists assured of a medal, his victory guaranteed India a historic podium finish in the sport.

Speaking to ANI after his bronze win, Meena described his journey at the Games as a rollercoaster, recalling the setbacks he faced before making a comeback to win the medal.

Our journey at the Asian Games was nothing short of a rollercoaster. Our team went through many ups and downs. On September 18, when we played the quarterfinals against Indonesia, that was a medal-winning match, but we lost. It was a deeply heartbreaking moment. After that, on September 20, we also had chances in the mixed doubles, but we lost again. So, to make a comeback from there and pull off this medal... I am very happy. I would like to give full credit to my coach, the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India, and especially, to SAI (Sports Authority of India) and the central government," he said.

Meena also spoke about the food challenges faced by Indian athletes during international competitions, saying the absence of dedicated Indian cuisine options often creates difficulties for vegetarian players.

"The problem we Indian athletes face is that we are vegetarians. In Asian countries, seafood and similar items are very prevalent. No one prepares special food separately for one particular country, whether its the Asian Games or the Olympics. Therefore, it would be much better if an Indian chef were sent along with the team so that we could at least eat fresh food. We have to survive on food with preservatives."

Talking about his diet during the Games, Meena said he relied on ready-to-eat meals, theplas, salads and corn.

"We bring ready-to-eat meals with us. We reconstitute the ready-to-eat vegetables, which contain preservatives, by mixing hot water into them. Then there are theplas that last for 30 dayswe have to eat those for vegetarian options. And I would also like to say that we got through many dinners and mornings just on salad and corn. I ate a lot of corn here, he said.

"You could say that, absolutely (on winning the medal by surviving on corn)! I ate a lot of corn, and whatever roasted chickpeas we could find, thats all we ate," he said.

Meena credited the support provided by SAI and the government, saying the assistance given to athletes played a major role in their preparations.

I dedicate it to my coaches, my country India, Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (ASTFI), and above all, to the central government and SAI. Because SAI left no stone unturned. And I know I am not the only athletethey have supported every single athlete to such an extent that only an athlete can truly appreciate it. If I need a specific type of shoe, even if it has to be imported from abroad, the government never hesitates even once; everything gets sanctioned directly. The players received immense support. I dedicate this medal to India," he said.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Jay Meena for winning the bronze.

The Prime Ministers Office shared a post on X, saying, "A historic achievement for Indian Soft Tennis! Congratulations to Jay Meena on winning Bronze in the Mens Individual event and becoming Indias 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 @narendramodi"

Meena thanked Prime Minister Modi for the support and encouragement being provided to athletes and urged him to give more attention to soft tennis, saying the sport has the potential to win India medals at upcoming Commonwealth Games. He said soft tennis can grow in the country, inspire thousands of young athletes and that India has no shortage of talent in the sport.

"I just want to say to you the blessings and support that athletes are receiving... What more can I say? I just want to request, sir, that you please pay attention to Soft Tennis, because this is a sport that can shower India with medals in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. And in Soft Tennis, you don't need anything extraordinary. Soft Tennis will rise in India. Today, thousands of children must have dreamed that yes, we too can win medals if our seniors can. So, my humble appeal to you is to keep an eye on our sport and highlight Soft Tennis in India, because there is no shortage of talent in India, sir," he said.

Meena promised that if soft tennis is included in the 2030 Commonwealth Games, he and the Indian team would aim to win all available medals, including gold across all five events, assuring Indias dominance in the sport.

" I want to make a promise to you, sir, that if Soft Tennis is included in the Commonwealth Games in 2030, I... both myself and the Indian team give you our complete word, that all the gold medals in Soft Tennisalong with silver and bronze as well, if possiblewill stay in India. I personally guarantee the gold medals. I, Jay Meena, give this guarantee myself: if Soft Tennis is included in the Commonwealth Games, all golds across all five events will belong to India. This is my solemn promise to you," he said.

Soft tennis coach Sudesh Sangate said Jay Meenas historic medal was the result of 22 years of dedication and expressed hope that the achievement would create a wave of interest in soft tennis, encouraging more children across India to take up the sport.

I am very happy, today our 22 years of dedication have finally paid off. The medal that Jay Meena won in the individual singles today has created a wave of soft tennis across India, and certainly, kids all over the country will now move towards soft tennis more, he told ANI. (ANI)