Indian athletes begin their 2026 Asian Games repechage with teqball
India begins its 2026 continental sports campaign two days before the official Aichi-Nagoya opening ceremony with teqball matches this Thursday. Men’s doubles partners Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg will be the first athletes to represent the nation at these Games.
Invented in Hungary during the early 2010s, teqball merges football elements with a curved table tennis-style surface, resembling a fast-paced mix of freestyle football and sepak takraw. This dynamic sport makes its continental debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, offering five medal events from September 17 to 20. Gonsalves and Beg bring proven experience to the tournament. Both athletes earned global recognition after securing a historic men’s doubles bronze medal at the 2024 World Championships in Vietnam.
Placed in Group B, the Indian duo faces two critical matches on Thursday at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Centre. They open their campaign against Vietnam’s Truong Giang Ba and Anh Khoa Le at 12:30 PM IST. Just 30 minutes later, at 1:00 PM IST, they challenge the Republic of Korea’s Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Lee. Progressing to the quarter-finals later that day requires a strong performance in this group stage. Players who miss direct qualification can still advance through a scheduled repechage route, keeping medal hopes alive for the Indian pair.
Teqball Team at the Asian Games 2026
