Teqball makes its Asian Games debut in Nagoya, Japan, offering five gold medals as the soccer-and-table-tennis hybrid sport pursues future Olympic inclusion with backing from its international federation.
When teqball bursts onto the competition schedule at the Asian Games, it will mark a milestone for an athletic discipline born less than 15 years ago in a Hungarian garage. Created in 2014 by cofounders Victor Huszar, Gabor Borsanyi, and Gyorgy Gattyan, the sport has evolved from a project into one of the world’s fastest-growing athletic pursuits, governed internationally by FITEQ since its establishment in 2017.
From Garage Invention to the World’s Second-Largest Multisport Stage
The journey from a curved table to the Asian Games represents a leap for the sport’s leadership with aspirations of reaching the Olympic Games. Played on a curved table using a football, teqball demands agility, precise footwork, and tactical mastery. Rules prohibit players from using their arms or hands to return or serve the ball. Matches follow a best-of-three sets format, with the first player or team to reach 12 points claiming the set across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories.
Intensive Serbian Training Camps Shape Asian Contenders
While the sport’s founders eye the global stage, athletes have been quietly grinding behind the scenes. Teqball competitors from Kuwait and Lebanon fine-tuned their skills in Novi Sad, Serbia, during an intensive training camp that ran from July 26 to September 3 according to the International Teqball Federation. The camp paired the visiting Asian delegations with Serbian figures Bogdan Marojevic and Nikola Mitro to sharpen physical, technical, and tactical capabilities.
For Kuwaiti men’s singles competitor Zaid Eidan, the Serbian camp provided rehabilitation and training ground as he fought his way back from an injury period. The preparation with Bogdan and Nikola Mitro has helped me regain my level step by step, while also improving different technical and tactical aspects of my game,
Eidan said.
Eidan made clear that his return to competition carries high ambitions. My goal at the Asian Games is to compete for the top positions,
he noted, adding that after his injury period, being back at this level already means a lot – but I am not going only to participate. I want to perform at my best and show that I have returned stronger and more prepared.
Lebanese Squad Carries Continental Hopes to Nagoya
Lebanon arrives in Nagoya fueled by recent regional success. Kamar Dandal, who will contest both women’s singles and women’s doubles, pointed directly to her nation’s bronze medal in men’s doubles at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, as a vital catalyst for the squad.
It was a really important result for Lebanon and showed us that we can compete against strong teams in Asia. I think this medal also gave us more motivation to work harder and aim for even better results, Dandal said
Dandal emphasized the weight of her dual-event appearance in Japan. Representing Lebanon at the Asian Games is something I am really proud of; it means a lot to me personally,
she stated. It is a big responsibility because we are not only playing for ourselves, but also representing our country and trying to show what Lebanon can achieve in teqball.
She added, Most importantly, I want to represent Lebanon with pride, enjoy the experience and hopefully come back home with a medal for Lebanon.
India Joins the Fray as Sport Makes Late Asian Games Addition
The name doesn’t ring a bell at all nor there any trailblazing tales. Teqball it is. The sport and its sportspersons are shrouded in a veil of mystery as they arrive for the Asian Games to be held in Nagoya from September 19 to October 4. The competitors come from obscure and varied backgrounds. If one is a digital marketing planner, the other is a content manager and one is an engineer — a motley crew that will represent India in Nagoya. They are professionals and athletes juggling their work and game to find their way into the Asian Games.
The sport first came to India around 2018-19, but COVID came as a setback. In the last few years, however, teqball has started to take wings in cities, and a late addition to the Asian Games in February 2026 meant India will take part in three categories with players Anas Baig, Declan Gonsalves, and Quimcy Dsouza. The finals take place on Sunday, September 20 at Nagoya City Higashi Sports Centre, where five gold medals will be awarded.
