Sep 26, 2026, 15:36 IST
New Delhi: Jay Meena’s big promise came within days of creating history at Aichi-Nagoya. The Asian Games bronze medallist didn’t hesitate before making a bold prediction: if soft tennis is included at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, “all the gold will remain in India.”It wasn’t a throwaway celebration line. It has become the rallying cry of Indian soft tennis.Days after Meena became the country’s first Asian Games medallist in the sport, officials are shifting their focus from Nagoya to Ahmedabad, where they believe India’s biggest opportunity lies — not just to make numbers, but to make it into a medal bonanza at the Commonwealth Games.A historic bronze changes the conversationFor the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (ASTFI), Meena’s breakthrough is more than an individual achievement. It is validation of a project that began in 2002, when the sport was first introduced in India.“This is definitely a historical moment for India,” Harshang Khodadhara, Special Advisor to ASTFI and the International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF), told TimesofIndia.com.ALSO READ | Jay Meena battled typhoid, hip injury and self-doubt to win historic Asian Games medal“We participated in four Asian Games and won a medal in the fourth. We don’t want to stay in bronze. Our next target is silver or gold. We want to win a silver, at least, in singles competition. I am not being arrogant here. Japan and South Korea are at the next level. But definitely, with the support of the government, we will beat them,” he continued.The federation believes the medal finally gives the sport the visibility it has long lacked despite receiving government recognition and Sports Authority of India (SAI) support.Why Ahmedabad 2030 mattersThe federation’s immediate ambition extends beyond medals.Soft tennis is pushing to become part of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which India will host in Ahmedabad. While the sport enjoys widespread popularity across East Asia, Commonwealth participation remains limited. Countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh already compete regularly, while federations also exist in England and Australia, providing the foundation for broader expansion.Meena believes growing participation across Commonwealth nations is the final piece of the puzzle.“If European countries adopt this game, the chances of entering the Commonwealth Games become very good,” he said. “And if it is included, whether it’s me or another Indian athlete, all the gold will remain in India,” he said confidently.Khodadhara echoes that confidence.“India is the highest-ranked team among Commonwealth nations. If soft tennis is included in 2030, we are assuring that all the gold will be in India,” he said, while adding that both the Gujarat and Central governments have been supportive of the sport’s growth.Infrastructure exists already
Jay Meena assures India’s first-ever soft tennis medal at Asian Games 2026
Unlike emerging racket sports battling for court space, soft tennis requires remarkably little new investment.The sport uses the same dimensions and playing surface as lawn tennis. Lakhs of existing tennis courts can host competitions without modification.“From an infrastructure point of view, there is no issue,” Khodadhara explained. “The courts used in tennis are also used in soft tennis.”Meena made a similar argument after his medal, insisting India already possesses “lakhs of courts” and simply needs to identify and support talent rather than build new facilities.The gap between India and Asia’s giants
** TO GO WITH STORY** Nagoya: India’s bronze medalist Jay Meena, front right, poses on the podium with gold medalist Toshiki Uematsu, top left, of Japan, silver medalist Takuya Kurosaka, front left, of Japan, and bronze medalist Chen Po-yi, top right, of Chinese Taipei during the medal presentation ceremony for the soft tennis men’s singles event at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, in Nagoya, Japan. (PTI Photo) (PTI09_25_2026_000201B)
India’s confidence does not ignore reality, though. Japan and South Korea remain the sport’s traditional powerhouses, having developed professional leagues and coaching systems over nearly a century. India, by comparison, has been playing organised soft tennis for just over two decades.That difference, Khodadhara says, is less about talent and more about exposure.“The biggest gap is international exposure. The techniques and skills are there. To implement and develop it here, we need more foreign coaches, more foreign exposure. As much as possible,” he explained.He highlighted another structural challenge: many state sports policies prioritise Olympic disciplines, leaving sports such as soft tennis, which are included at the Asian Games, but not the Olympics, in a limbo.“In most states, the schemes for international players are only focused on Olympic sports. Whether that means giving support to the players, or cash prizes to the schemes. You have to remember that the Asian Games are an Olympic of Asia. So, Asian Games sports should also get that importance,” he explained further.
