Jay Meen’s historic Asian Games medal in soft tennis has encouraged the national federation to push for the sport’s inclusion in the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, with the country eyeing a strong medal haul.
Meena created ripples in the sport after India won its first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis at Nagoya. The achievement came in India’s fourth appearance in the sport at the continental event.
Speaking about Meena’s exploits in Nagoya, Harshang Khodadhara, Special Advisor to the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (ASTFI) and International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF), described the medal as a dream come true after years of effort.
“First medal at Asian Games was a dream-come-true moment. Soft tennis began in India 24 years ago, and it’s all because of our sheer hard work and dedication to the sport; we have reached here,” Khodadhara said.
He said the federation now wants soft tennis to be included in the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.
“Among all the Commonwealth countries, India are number one. Ahmedabad is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and our vision is that soft tennis should be included as a discipline,” he said.
Khodadhara added that discussions had already been held with the international federation during the Asian Games and that the process of submitting a formal proposal would begin soon.
India’s progress in soft tennis has gathered momentum in recent years. The country won its first international medal at the 2024 World Championships, where Aadhya Tiwari and Jay claimed a mixed doubles bronze. At the 2025 Asian Championships, India won four bronze medals.
Jay reached the Asian Games semifinals after defeating players from Pakistan and the Philippines before losing to Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka, the eventual gold medallist.
India currently ranks fourth in the world, behind Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei. Khodadhara said sustained preparation, including international, national and venue-specific camps, played a key role in the Asian Games breakthrough.