India made history at the 17th Anseong World Soft Tennis Championships 2024, with Jay Meena and Aadhya Tiwari securing the nation’s first-ever medal at a soft tennis championship.
The Indian pair clinched the Bronze Medal in the Mixed Doubles event, held in South Korea.
This historic win marks the first time any Indian or Indian pair has ever won a medal at the Soft Tennis World Championships.
Earlier Jay and Tiwari defeated the Philippines 5-2 in the Round of 16 and China 5-3 in the quarterfinals on their way to winning the bronze medal.
What is Soft Tennis?
Soft tennis is similar to traditional tennis in terms of scoring and gameplay, with both singles and doubles formats. The key difference lies in the ball used.
Soft tennis balls are much lighter, weighing only 30-31 grams compared to regular tennis balls, which weigh between 56 and 59.4 grams.
This lighter weight allows the ball to travel more slowly through the air, giving players more time to react and play their shots.
The rackets used in soft tennis are also similar to regular tennis rackets, but the strings are strung more loosely and with lower tension, making it easier to hit the lighter ball.
Originating in Japan in 1884, soft tennis has grown in popularity, particularly in East Asian countries like Korea and Taiwan.