President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Jay Meena on Thursday after the athlete secured India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis by winning bronze in the men’s singles event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.Posting on X, President Murmu described Meena’s success as a “landmark moment for Indian Soft Tennis” and said it would inspire young athletes to pursue the sport. The statement read: “A landmark moment for Indian Soft Tennis! Heartiest congratulations to Jay Meena on securing Bronze Medal in Men’s Singles Soft Tennis event at the Asian Games 2026. Your historic performance has earned India its first-ever medal in this discipline at the Games. This milestone achievement will inspire young athletes to pursue the sport and aim higher. May you continue to achieve greater success and bring glory to the nation.”Meena’s campaign concluded in the semi-finals, where he was defeated 2-4 by Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka. Despite dropping the first three sets, Meena won the fourth and fifth sets to narrow the score to 2-3, before Kurosaka took the sixth set 4-1 to secure victory. The full scoreline was 3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4, according to ESPN.Earlier, Meena had earned his place in the semi-finals by defeating the Philippines’ Sherwin Nuguit in an intense quarter-final match. Since all semi-finalists are guaranteed a medal, his quarter-final victory ensured India a historic podium finish in soft tennis at the Asian Games.On Wednesday, India won multiple medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, currently placing 13th in the medal standings with 12 medals. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu claimed silver in the women’s 49kg category. The Indian men’s badminton team secured bronze after a 3-1 semi-final defeat to China.In shooting, the women’s skeet team of Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Maheshwari Chauhan won bronze, as did the men’s skeet team comprising Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmed Khan and Bhavtegh Singh.
President Murmu hails Jay Meena’s bronze as India’s first Asian Games medal in soft tennis
