Jammu: Four young players from the Khelo India Soft Tennis Centre at MA Stadium, Jammu, won a bronze medal at the 3rd North Zone National Soft Tennis Championship held at Gindun Stadium, Srinagar, from June 26 to 28.
The medal-winning team comprised Madhavendra Singh Sambyal, Harikesh Dutt Sharma, Aditya Dutt Sharma and Vihan Parihar, who secured a podium finish against leading teams from across North India.
The quartet trains under Khelo India mentor and international soft tennis player Indu Bhushan Padha. The players credited the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, the Department of Youth Services and Sports (Y&SS), and the Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Soft Tennis Association (JKASTA) for providing sustained support and opportunities to compete at higher levels.
Among the four, 17-year-old Madhavendra Singh Sambyal has emerged as one of the country’s promising young soft tennis players. He recently won a silver medal in the Under-17 category at the National School Games in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, after also finishing runner-up at the Senior National Soft Tennis Championship in Srinagar. He is the reigning J&K senior men’s singles champion and has also been selected, along with his sister Sidhani Singh, to represent India at the 2nd Asian Junior Soft Tennis Championship.
Madhavendra said his progress has been possible because of the guidance of his coaches and the support extended by the Sports Council, the Department of Youth Services and Sports and JKASTA.
Harikesh Dutt Sharma has also enjoyed consistent success, having swept the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in the sub-junior category at the 9th UT-Level Soft Tennis Championship before reaching the Under-17 final at the Inter-District UT meet.
Aditya Dutt Sharma and Vihan Parihar completed the bronze-winning team, which officials described as another example of the growing strength of grassroots soft tennis in Jammu and Kashmir.
The players are now set to resume training at MA Stadium as they prepare for upcoming national and international competitions.
