India Names Six-Member Soft Tennis Squad for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

India has named a six-member soft tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the contingent set to compete in men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed doubles and the men’s team event.

The squad includes five men and one woman, with Jay Meena, Aryan Thakur and Aadhya Tiwari receiving opportunities in individual competition. Jay and Aryan will represent India in the men’s singles, while Aadhya will compete in the women’s singles and mixed doubles. Yogesh Choudhary, Om Yadav, Jay Meena, Aniket Chirag Patel and Aryan Thakur have been selected for the men’s team event. Aniket and Aadhya will also represent India in the mixed doubles competition.

The 2026 Asian Games will provide India with another opportunity to compete against the continent’s strongest soft tennis nations after a challenging campaign at Hangzhou 2022.

At the previous Asian Games, India fielded teams in the men’s and women’s competitions while also competing in individual singles events. The Indian men's team finished fourth in Hangzhou, falling short of the medal positions but producing competitive performances during the preliminary stage. The team registered a victory over Cambodia and also competed against Thailand, South Korea and Chinese Taipei.

Jay Meena was part of India's men's singles challenge at Hangzhou and reached the second stage of the competition before his campaign ended against Chinese Taipei. His experience from the previous Asian Games could prove valuable as he returns for another major continental assignment. India's women also had representation in the singles competition at Hangzhou, while the women's team finished third in its preliminary-stage group.

The 2026 squad, however, has a different composition and will look to make a stronger impact across the events in which India has secured entries.

Soft tennis remains a highly competitive discipline in Asia, with East Asian nations traditionally dominating the sport at major championships. For India, progressing through the early rounds and converting competitive performances into deeper runs will be the immediate objective.

Jay Meena and Aryan Thakur to lead men's singles challenge

Jay Meena has been selected for both the men's team event and men's singles, giving him a significant role in India's campaign. His selection for consecutive Asian Games cycles reflects the value of experience in a competition where players face multiple formats and different opponents over a short period.

Aryan Thakur will join Jay in the men's singles competition while also being part of the five-member men's team. Having two players in the singles draw gives India greater representation in the individual competition and also allows the team to test its depth against the best players in Asia.

The men's team will be formed around Yogesh Choudhary, Om Yadav, Jay Meena, Aniket Chirag Patel and Aryan Thakur. Team competition places an additional emphasis on collective consistency. A strong individual player can make a difference, but the overall result depends on the ability of the squad to perform across multiple matches.

For India, the team event could be particularly important given the encouraging fourth-place finish at Hangzhou 2022. Going beyond that result would represent a significant step forward.

Aadhya Tiwari is the sole woman named in India's six-member soft tennis contingent and will compete in two events. She has been selected for the women's singles competition and will also partner Aniket Chirag Patel in the mixed doubles event. The mixed doubles competition presents India with an opportunity to combine two players with different strengths and tactical approaches. Coordination, communication and the ability to adapt quickly are particularly important in doubles competition, where momentum can change rapidly.

For Aadhya, the Asian Games will provide a major individual test in the women's singles draw while also offering a second opportunity to make an impact alongside Aniket. Aniket's inclusion in both the men's team and mixed doubles gives him one of the busiest programmes in the Indian contingent.

The six-member selection means several players will carry responsibilities across more than one event. Jay Meena and Aryan Thakur will compete in both men's singles and the men's team event. Aniket Chirag Patel has been selected for the men's team and mixed doubles, while Aadhya Tiwari will feature in women's singles and mixed doubles.

Yogesh Choudhary and Om Yadav will focus on the men's team event.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/asian-games-2026-india-s-confirmed-squad-so-far-as-45-nations-prepare-for-aichi-nagoya

This structure requires the Indian players to balance their individual preparation with the demands of team competition. The ability to recover between matches and remain consistent throughout the tournament will be crucial.

The squad will also have the advantage of continuity, with most of the contingent connected through the men's team programme and multiple players competing across formats.

India's performance at Hangzhou showed that the country could compete in the early stages of the Asian Games competition, particularly in the men's team event. However, the final stages proved more difficult, with India falling short of the medal rounds in the individual events and finishing fourth in the men's team competition.

Aichi-Nagoya 2026 offers the next opportunity to close that gap. The combination of experienced players such as Jay Meena and a squad with multiple-event flexibility gives India a platform to compete across the programme. The key will be consistency against opponents from Asia's traditional soft tennis powers.

For the Indian contingent, the immediate objective will be to progress through the preliminary rounds and take advantage of every opportunity in the knockout stages. With six athletes covering four competition categories, India will enter the 2026 Asian Games looking to turn the experience of Hangzhou into a deeper run in Aichi-Nagoya.

India's six-member soft tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games: Yogesh Choudhary, Om Yadav, Jay Meena, Aniket Chirag Patel, Aryan Thakur and Aadhya Tiwari.