Teqball has taken another step toward becoming an internationally recognised sport after making its Asian Games debut in Nagoya. The football-table tennis hybrid awarded its first Asian Games medals on Sunday, giving the sport a new platform as it continues to pursue Olympic recognition.
Thailand enjoyed a strong start, winning three of the five available titles. Athletes battled across the sport’s distinctive curved table at the Higashi Sports Centre. The venue held only a few hundred spectators, but the crowd watched closely as players controlled and returned the ball using their feet, head and body.
International Teqball Federation (ITF) general secretary Laszlo Vajda described the Asian Games appearance as an important milestone. He said the sport’s global community hopes to see teqball included in the Olympic programme one day.
Teqball Builds on Hungarian Roots
Teqball has links to Hungary’s football tradition. Players in the country’s golden era used foot-tennis exercises as part of their training.
The modern sport emerged more than a decade ago. Two Hungarian friends, a former professional footballer and a computer scientist, began experimenting with a football and a table tennis table.
They later developed the table’s distinctive curved design. A Hungarian businessman then joined the project and helped promote the sport internationally.
The International Teqball Federation was established in 2017. Since then, it has organised several world championships and worked to expand the sport’s global reach.
Teqball may look unusual to new audiences, but it fits into an Asian Games programme that includes several unconventional disciplines. Like other emerging sports, teqball is seeking greater recognition, funding and international participation.
Carles Puyol Helps Promote the Sport
Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has become one of teqball’s prominent supporters. The former Spain international has helped introduce the sport to new audiences through demonstrations and social media activities.
Before the Asian Games competition, Puyol joined Asian influencers for a kick-around after taking part in a student clinic at a nearby university. The event was aimed largely at generating online interest rather than attracting ticket-paying spectators.
Several major football clubs have also used teqball tables during training. Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are among the clubs that have incorporated the equipment into their training environments.
Puyol said the sport can help professional players improve their technical skills. He also described it as useful for warming up and predicted further growth as more people discover the game.
Asian Interest Strengthens Olympic Ambitions
Asia has become an important part of teqball’s expansion. The sport shares some similarities with sepak takraw, a popular Southeast Asian discipline in which players volley a ball over a net without using their hands.
Thailand has a strong tradition in sepak takraw and quickly embraced teqball. Its athletes won three of the five Asian Games titles in Nagoya.
However, the medals were spread across several parts of Asia. Competitors from countries including Kuwait, Japan, South Korea and Iraq also featured prominently.
South Korea’s Lee Jun-suk won the men’s singles gold after defeating his Iraqi opponent. He said he had hoped to win a medal but did not expect to leave the competition as champion.
Teqball still has a long road ahead before it reaches the Olympics. However, its Asian Games debut gives the sport greater exposure and another opportunity to demonstrate its appeal to athletes and younger audiences around the world.
