JAMMU, Jun 30: Four promising players from the Khelo India Soft Tennis Centre at MA Stadium, Jammu, brought laurels to Jammu and Kashmir by winning the 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 Madhvendra Singh Sambyal, Harikesh Dutt Sharma, Aditya Dutt Sharma and Vihan Parihar, who displayed remarkable teamwork, discipline and tactical excellence to finish among the top teams in the prestigious championship.
The players train under Khelo India mentor and international soft tennis player Indu Bhushan Padha, whose coaching has played a significant role in nurturing young talent and strengthening Jammu’s dominance in the sport. Their latest achievement reflects the success of the grassroots sports development programme supported by the J&K Sports Council, the Department of Youth Services and Sports (Y&SS) and the Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Soft Tennis Association (JKASTA).
Seventeen-year-old Madhvendra Singh Sambyal continues to emerge as one of India’s brightest young soft tennis players. He recently secured a silver medal in the Under-17 category at the National School Games in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, after earlier winning silver in the Senior National Championships held in Srinagar. He is also the reigning J&K state champion and gold medallist in the Senior Men’s Singles category at the 9th UT-Level Championship.
Madhvendra, along with his sister Sidhani Singh, has been selected to represent India at the 2nd Asian Junior Soft Tennis Championship. Besides excelling in soft tennis, the DPS Jammu student also won the Under-16 Boys Singles Pickleball Championship in 2025 and qualified for the national competition in Bengaluru.
Harikesh Dutt Sharma has consistently impressed with outstanding performances, including a clean sweep of singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the 9th UT-Level Championship alongside Svadhi Sharma. He also reached the Under-17 Boys final at the Inter-District UT Championship.
Aditya Dutt Sharma and Vihan Parihar completed the talented quartet, contributing significantly to the team’s podium finish.
The bronze medal marks another milestone for Jammu’s growing reputation in soft tennis and highlights the positive impact of sustained support from the J&K Sports Council, Y&SS and JKASTA in developing athletes capable of excelling on the national stage.