Jay Meena Biography: Age, Early Life, Soft Tennis Career, Achievements and Asian Games 2026 Bronze Medal

Jay Meena is an Indian soft tennis player from Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, who created history at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He won the bronze medal in the men’s singles soft tennis event, becoming the first Indian to win a soft tennis medal at the Asian Games. 

Jay’s journey is interesting because soft tennis was not his first sporting dream. As a child, he wanted to become a cricketer and played gully cricket like many youngsters. However, after moving to Pioneer Public School in Dewas, he came across a soft tennis court and gradually became interested in the sport. What started with him working as a ball boy later turned into an international career. 

Jay Meena Biography 

Name	Jay Meena
Nationality	Indian
Sport	Soft Tennis
Main Event	Men’s Singles
Hometown	Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Year of Birth	Reported as 2002 by some player-profile sources
Age in 2026	Around 24 years, although some reports give a different age
Coach	Sudesh Sangte
Major 2022 Achievement	Men’s Singles Gold, 36th National Games
Major 2024 Achievement	World Soft Tennis Championships Mixed Doubles Bronze
Major 2025 Achievement	Asian Soft Tennis Championships Men’s Singles Bronze
2026 Achievement	Asian Games Men’s Singles Bronze
Asian Games Appearances	2018, 2022 and 2026
Playing Country	India

Jay Meena Early Life

Jay Meena was born and brought up in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. During his childhood, cricket was his main interest, and he had dreams of becoming a cricketer. Soft tennis was not originally part of his plans. His journey changed after he joined Pioneer Public School, where he saw players training on soft tennis courts. 

Jay was initially around the court as a ball boy, collecting balls during matches and watching the players. Slowly, he became interested in picking up the racket himself. His curiosity soon turned into regular training, and he started competing at school, district, state and national levels. By the age of 14, he was already competing internationally in Japan, which is one of the major countries in soft tennis. 

Jay Meena Family

Jay Meena comes from a family in Dewas. His father, Rameshwar Meena, is a lawyer, while his mother is Sanjana. According to Jay’s account, his parents were concerned about his behaviour when he was young because he was very restless and often got into mischief. 

One incident at school became an important turning point in his life. Jay was rusticated from his earlier school after a prank involving a firecracker under the principal’s desk. After that, finding another school was difficult. Pioneer Public School gave him admission on the condition that he joined its sports academy, where coach Sudesh Sangte played an important role in guiding him towards soft tennis. 

How Jay Meena Started Playing Soft Tennis

Jay’s introduction to soft tennis was almost accidental. He first watched the players at Pioneer Public School before helping them as a ball boy. After spending more time around the court, he decided to try the sport. His natural speed, movement and interest in different sports helped him adjust to the game. 

His coach Sudesh Sangte, a former national-level kho-kho player and now a national soft tennis coach, noticed Jay’s energy and sporting skills. Sangte had introduced soft tennis at the school and began working closely with Jay. Over the years, their partnership helped Jay move from school competitions to international tournaments. 

Jay Meena Education

Jay’s early education was connected with Pioneer Public School in Dewas, where he joined the sports academy and began developing his soft tennis career. The school played an important part in his sporting journey because that was where he first came across soft tennis and started training under Sudesh Sangte. 

There is limited reliable public information about his higher education or a specific college degree. Therefore, it is better not to attach an unverified university qualification to his biography.

Jay Meena Soft Tennis Career

After starting at school level, Jay moved through district, state and national competitions. His progress was quick, and he began representing India in international events at a young age. His first Asian Games appearance came at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, and he later returned for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. 

At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Jay reached the men’s singles quarter-finals and also competed in the men’s team event. His run in singles showed that he could compete against some of Asia’s established soft tennis players. It was an important stage in his development before his major medal-winning years. 

Jay Meena at the 36th National Games 2022

One of Jay Meena’s biggest early achievements came at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022. He won the gold medal in the men’s singles soft tennis event, establishing himself as one of India’s leading players in the sport. He also contributed to Madhya Pradesh’s performances in the men’s team and doubles events. 

The National Games gold gave Jay an important national title and added to his growing experience. It also came in the same year in which he competed at the Asian Games, making 2022 a particularly important year in his career.

Jay Meena at the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championships

Jay reached another major milestone in 2024. Partnering Aadhya Tiwari, he won the bronze medal in mixed doubles at the World Soft Tennis Championships in South Korea. According to the official championship results, Meena and Tiwari finished third in the mixed doubles event. 

This medal was historic for India because it was the country’s first-ever medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships. The result also established Jay and Aadhya as an important Indian pair in international soft tennis. 

Jay Meena at the 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships

Jay continued his progress in 2025 at the 9th Asian Soft Tennis Championships in Mungyeong, South Korea. He reached the men’s singles semi-finals and won the bronze medal, becoming the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Soft Tennis Championships in men’s singles. 

His performance in that tournament went beyond singles. Jay collected a total of four medals across men’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s team and mixed team events. This made the 2025 Asian Championships one of the most successful international tournaments of his career before the Asian Games. 

Jay Meena National Champion in 2025

Jay’s strong form continued at the domestic level as well. In 2025, he became the national champion in men’s singles. A report by The Times of India also described him as India’s top-ranked soft tennis player during the 2025 India International and South Asian tournaments. 

That year also brought strong performances at international tournaments in India. Reports have noted his success across major soft tennis events, further adding to his position as one of the country’s leading players in the sport. 

Jay Meena at the Sunchang Open 2026

Before the Asian Games, Jay competed at the 2026 Sunchang Open in South Korea. He won the bronze medal in men’s singles, adding another international podium finish to his record. The result came only months before his historic performance at the Asian Games in Japan. 

His overseas competitions and training also gave him more experience against players from countries where soft tennis has a long history. Jay was part of the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) programme and received support for overseas exposure, training camps and sport-related equipment. 

Jay Meena at Asian Games 2026

The biggest achievement of Jay Meena’s career came at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Competing in the men’s singles event, he first won his Group D match against Pakistan’s Arain Hussain, 4-0, and moved into the knockout stages. 

In the quarter-finals, Jay faced Sherwin Nuguit of the Philippines. It became one of the closest matches of his Asian Games career. Jay eventually won the contest 4-3, including a comeback in the deciding game, and reached the semi-finals. His semi-final place guaranteed India its first-ever Asian Games medal in soft tennis. 

Jay Meena Wins Bronze Medal at Asian Games 2026

In the semi-final, Jay faced Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka. Kurosaka won the first three games, but Jay fought back by winning the next two. However, the Japanese player took the sixth game and won the match 4-2, ending Jay’s run towards the gold medal match. 

Despite the semi-final defeat, Jay received the bronze medal, as the losing semi-finalists in the soft tennis format are awarded bronze. This made him the first Indian athlete to win a medal in soft tennis at the Asian Games. His bronze medal came in the men’s singles event at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. 

Jay Meena Asian Games 2026 Match Results

Round	Opponent	Result
Group D	Arain Hussain, Pakistan	Won 4-0
Quarter-final	Sherwin Nuguit, Philippines	Won 4-3
Semi-final	Takuya Kurosaka, Japan	Lost 2-4
Final Result	Men’s Singles	Bronze Medal

Jay Meena’s Asian Games Journey

The 2026 medal was especially important because Jay had already competed at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. At Hangzhou, he reached the singles quarter-finals but could not get a medal. His return to the Asian Games in 2026 finally brought him onto the podium. 

Jay’s three Asian Games appearances also show how his career developed over the years. From competing as a young player in 2018 to reaching the quarter-finals in 2022 and then winning bronze in 2026, he gradually improved his results at the continental level. 

Jay Meena and Aadhya Tiwari

Jay Meena and Aadhya Tiwari have formed one of India’s notable soft tennis combinations. Their biggest shared achievement came at the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championships, where they won bronze in mixed doubles and created India’s first medal-winning result at the tournament. 

The pair also competed together at other international events. Their partnership has given India experience in mixed doubles against strong teams from Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and other major soft tennis nations. 

Jay Meena Major Achievements

Year	Tournament/Event	Achievement
2018	Asian Games, Jakarta-Palembang	Represented India
2022	36th National Games, Gujarat	Gold – Men’s Singles
2022	Asian Games, Hangzhou	Quarter-final – Men’s Singles
2024	World Soft Tennis Championships	Bronze – Mixed Doubles
2025	Asian Soft Tennis Championships	Bronze – Men’s Singles
2025	Asian Soft Tennis Championships	Four medals across events
2025	National Championships	Men’s Singles National Champion
2026	Sunchang Open	Bronze – Men’s Singles
2026	Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya	Bronze – Men’s Singles

Jay Meena Personal Life and Interests

Jay has spoken about his love for sport from a young age, with cricket being his first major sporting interest. His journey eventually took him towards soft tennis, a sport he had not initially planned to pursue. He has also spoken positively about Indian sports stars and is a fan of Neeraj Chopra. 

Much of Jay’s life has been connected with training and competitions. His long association with coach Sudesh Sangte has been an important part of his development. Family support has also remained important throughout his career, particularly as he moved from local competitions to international tournaments. 

Jay Meena Net Worth

There is no reliable public information available about Jay Meena’s exact net worth, annual income, salary or total sponsorship earnings as of 2026. Since he competes in a sport that receives less public coverage than cricket or mainstream tennis, financial details about his career are not widely reported.

Interesting Facts About Jay Meena

Jay Meena wanted to become a cricketer before soft tennis became his main sport. 

He started his soft tennis journey as a ball boy at Pioneer Public School in Dewas. 

He was competing internationally in Japan by the age of 14. 

He won men’s singles gold at the 36th National Games in 2022. 

He and Aadhya Tiwari won India’s first World Soft Tennis Championships medal in 2024. 

He became the first Indian men’s singles medallist at the Asian Soft Tennis Championships in 2025. 

He won four medals at the 2025 Asian Soft Tennis Championships across different events. 

He won bronze at the 2026 Sunchang Open in South Korea before the Asian Games. 

He became the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in soft tennis at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. 

Jay Meena’s biography is a story of a young boy from Dewas who never planned to become a soft tennis player but eventually reached the highest level of the sport in Asia. From starting as a ball boy at Pioneer Public School to representing India at three Asian Games, his career has grown step by step through national and international competitions. 

His Asian Games 2026 bronze medal in men’s singles is the biggest achievement of his career and the first-ever Asian Games medal for India in soft tennis. Before reaching the podium in Japan, Jay had already won the National Games, a World Championships bronze and an Asian Championships bronze. These results make him one of the most accomplished Indian soft tennis players of his generation.