Jay Meena lifted a bronze medal after a tense match that saw him edge out the Japanese line in the bronze‑final. A 2‑4 win over Takuya Kurosaka sealed India’s first Soft Tennis medal in Asian Games history.
Just weeks before the Games, Meena was stricken with typhoid, dropping 8 kg and leaving him bed‑ridden. He fought back, training in a makeshift camp in Srinagar and then flying to Nagoya on a tight schedule, clinging to the hope that he could still compete.
During the semi, a nagging hip pain forced a medical timeout, yet he pressed on. The loss, coupled with a shaky mixed‑doubles exit, left him battling doubt. "I felt every night the weight of disappointment," he told Times of India.
The bronze‑final came down to a single long rally; Meena’s final shot drifted high, and the ball bounced past the Japanese defender, securing the bronze. It was a moment of sheer will, a last‑minute escape from the brink of fatigue.
With this medal, Soft Tennis gains a spotlight in India, and Meena’s triumph could inspire a new generation of players. He and his teammates will now turn their focus to the 2027 World Championships, where they hope to build on this historic success.
Back home, his father Rameshwar has been his biggest cheerleader, a fact that drove Meena to keep fighting. The family’s perseverance echoes across the sport, proving that even a small town can produce a medal‑winning athlete.