Soft Tennis in India 1970 — Leagues, Champions & Athletes

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (The Bridge — Aniket Patel funding challenges interview, Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (softtennis.in), Wikipedia — Soft tennis at the Asian Games, International Soft Tennis Federation (softtennis-istf.com)).

Overview

Governing body: Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India
Origin: Japan, 1880s
Olympic discipline: No
Category: Racquet
Total players listed: …

Soft Tennis is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Soft Tennis is not currently on the Olympic programme, but it sits firmly inside India's broader sporting ecosystem. The discipline receives support through the Khelo India movement, multi-sport events such as the National Games and Asian Games trials wherever the sport is contested, and dedicated league or championship structures run by the federation. Sponsorship, broadcast deals and private academies often fill the gap that direct government funding leaves, and several state governments offer cash awards, government jobs and land grants to medallists at the National Games and recognised world championships.

Soft Tennis in India follows the global individual-sport calendar of ranking tournaments, with the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India sanctioning the domestic circuit and selecting players for international duty. Junior rankings start at under-13 and feed into senior all-India rankings used for national team selection. Private academies — many run by former internationals — have become the dominant talent-production model, and the best junior players routinely train and compete abroad with federation clearance. Equipment cost and access to quality sparring partners remain the two biggest practical barriers for new entrants in smaller cities.

At the grassroots, the route into Soft Tennis typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Soft Tennis originated in Japan, 1880s, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Soft Tennis, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Soft Tennis is played and developed across India under the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India, with grassroots programmes, state associations and national-level competition pathways.

History

How soft tennis evolved globally and took root in India.

Soft Tennis traces its modern origins to Japan, 1880s. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, soft tennis grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Soft Tennis sits outside the Olympic programme but is firmly part of India's Asian Games, Commonwealth and National Games map, with state governments backing medallists through cash awards, jobs and land grants.

Indian Players

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Rules

Soft tennis uses the same court and basic scoring framework as conventional tennis but is played with a light, air-filled rubber ball (roughly 30 g) and a thin, lightweight racket, so rallies rely on placement and touch rather than raw power. Only one serve is allowed — there is no second serve — and the serve is struck after the server bounces the ball themselves, which removes the big-serve advantage. Matches are played as singles or doubles, with doubles the traditional and dominant format; games are scored to four points and sets are usually decided at four games with a tiebreak, under International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF) rules. Because the ball compresses on impact, spin and drop-shot play are central, and a let is called for interference or a ball striking the net posts.

Authoritative rulebook: Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a soft tennis squad or competition.

Singles
One-on-one match — the standard individual format for ranking events.
Doubles
Two-a-side format with different court coverage and serve/return patterns.
Mixed doubles
One male and one female partner — a distinct discipline at multi-sport meets.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in soft tennis at a federation-recognised event.

Soft tennis racket — thin-shafted and much lighter than a conventional tennis racket
Air-filled rubber soft tennis ball (approx. 30 g), the sport's defining implement
Standard tennis-dimension court with net at regulation height
Non-marking court shoes suited to hard or clay surfaces
Team/national jerseys, wristbands and spare balls
Net posts, measuring tape and court-marking equipment

Governing body

National federation

Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India

Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India is the recognised national body for Soft Tennis in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for soft tennis. State associations under Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: Japan, 1880s
Olympic: No
Category: Racquet

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Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the soft tennis calendar in India.

National Soft Tennis Championship
Held annually since 2003 (per National Games records), organized by the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India (ASTFI), which introduced the sport to India in 2002 under founding secretary general J.K. Khodadhara. It took seven years of effort before ASTFI achieved official recognition from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the IOA; it now has 26 state and union territory associations.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in soft tennis.

Asian Games
Soft tennis has been a medal sport since Hiroshima 1994 (a demonstration sport at Beijing 1990). India's team achieved a surprising 5th-place finish in the team event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (held 2023), beating former champions Cambodia and other strong sides including Chinese Taipei and Indonesia.
World Soft Tennis Championships
Held every four years since 1975, with athletes from around 65 countries competing.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for soft tennis. The national championship under Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India remains the top domestic competition.

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International Players

Globally recognised soft tennis athletes to know outside India.

Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
24-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
Multiple-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1.
Iga Świątek (Poland)
Multiple-time French Open champion and world No. 1.
Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Olympic and World badminton champion.
Chen Meng (China)
Olympic table tennis singles gold medallist.

Records

Where to find India's official soft tennis record book.

Olympic medalsN/A
Soft Tennis is not on the Olympic programme, so India records this discipline through Asian Games, Commonwealth, World and Continental championships instead.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in soft tennis are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in soft tennis are maintained by the Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for soft tennis and mirrored by Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India.
National record holdersFederation register
Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in soft tennis — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Aniket Patel — a former national No. 1 (2022) who represented India at two Asian Games (2018, 2022) — has spoken publicly about the funding challenges facing soft tennis players in India, noting his team received just a 10-day training camp before Hangzhou 2023 while competing nations trained for months or years
Patel chose soft tennis over a more conventional path as a software engineer, illustrating the sport's genuine reliance on personal commitment over institutional support
Playing pathway through ASTFI's state associations, particularly active in Gujarat
Coaching pathway through ASTFI, affiliated to both the Asian and South Asian Soft Tennis Federations

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Related academies

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for soft tennis athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about soft tennis in India.

Who governs Soft Tennis in India?▾

Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India is the recognised national federation for Soft Tennis in India. State associations under Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India run age-group and state-level competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Is Soft Tennis an Olympic sport?▾

Soft Tennis is not currently on the Olympic programme, but India competes at Asian Games, Commonwealth Games (where recognised), World Championships and other continental events sanctioned by Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India.

How do I start playing Soft Tennis in India?▾

Join a school team under SGFI, a college team under AIU, or a private academy affiliated to your state association. From there, age-group state championships and Khelo India events are the standard route into the national pipeline.

What government schemes support Soft Tennis athletes?▾

The core schemes are Khelo India (talent development stipends, scholarships and boarding at accredited centres), TOPS (funding for elite athletes preparing for the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games), and state-government cash awards, jobs and land grants for medallists. Federation-specific schemes may also apply.

Where can I train for Soft Tennis?▾

Sports Authority of India (SAI) national centres of excellence, Khelo India accredited academies, state sports institutes and private academies registered with the state association are the standard training venues. The Academies section on this page lists options.

How are Indian Soft Tennis athletes selected for international events?▾

Amateur Soft Tennis Federation of India runs selection trials — typically the senior national championship, a dedicated trial event, or ranking-based selection — and publishes the selection policy each season. Objective criteria (times, distances, ranking points, weight-class results) dominate at the elite level.

Soft Tennis in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Soft Tennis in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Soft Tennis