Jay Meena becomes first Indian to win medal at Asian Soft Tennis C'ships

Jay Meena etched his name in the annals of Indian sports, becoming the first athlete from the country to win a medal at the Asian Soft Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

Jay, who is a cousin of the Indian pole vault national record holder Dev Meena, secured the medal by reaching the men's singles semi-finals at the 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships in South Korea.

Jay beat China's Li Run Cheng 4-1 to book his spot in the semi-finals and assure himself of a historic medal.

The Indian would later go on to lose 1-4 to Chinese Taipei's Chen Po Yi in the semi-finals to bring home a bronze medal.

Though Jay was outplayed in the semi-finals, he became the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Soft Tennis Championships.

Last year, Jay had won India's first-ever medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships when he clinched the mixed doubles bronze along with Aadhya Tiwari.

Jay had also reached the quarter-finals at the delayed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou two years go.