Nagoya: Very few people in India may know about a sport called Teqball, but the competition in this sport has been intense at the Asian Games in Japan. India’s national champion Quincy DSouza missed out on two bronze medals, but she believes she has achieved something significant in another way.
“I am disappointed that I could not win either of the two bronze medals, but I wanted to make Indians aware of what Teqball is through my performance. I am confident that I have been able to do that,” she said.
Why Is It Called Teqball? Know More About the Sport
Teqball was invented in Hungary in 2014. Matches — singles, team events or mixed doubles — are played on a specially designed table. Combining elements of football and table tennis, this unique sport has made its Asian Games debut this year.
The sport requires players to display a high level of skill and ‘technique’. Since a ‘ball’ is used in the game, it is called “Teqball”. Players can use any part of their body except both hands to control the ball and return it over the net.
A player can touch the ball a maximum of three times before returning it. However, the same part of the body cannot be used twice consecutively. Teqball is a non-contact sport, meaning players cannot touch each other or the table.
India’s Quincy Plays Two Matches Within Five Minutes
Twenty-four-year-old Quincy DSouza learned to play the sport on her own and funded her training herself. She practised the sport intensively for four years, and when Teqball made its Asian Games debut, she entered the competition through the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
On Sunday, she was hoping to create history for India in the sport. However, just five minutes after losing her women’s singles match, she was back on court in the mixed doubles event with Mohammad Anas.
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In the singles, Quincy lost to Japan’s world No. 7 player Yuina Sakamoto 11-12, 11-12. Later, the Indian pair of Anas and Quincy lost 9-12, 6-12 to Vietnam’s Hoang Minh-Gia Trinh.
After missing out on both bronze medals, Quincy DSouza told reporters, “When I started training in Teqball, nobody in India knew what the sport was. I really liked the sport, so I began training. Believe me, India will win a medal in this sport very soon, and more and more girls will start playing it.”