India Kicks Off Asian Games 2026 with Teqball Matches in Nagoya

India's Teqball Journey Begins at Asian Games

Nagoya, Japan - On September 17, India will commence its journey at the 2026 Asian Games with teqball, just two days ahead of the official opening ceremony in Aichi-Nagoya.

The first Indian athletes to compete will be the men's doubles team of Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg, as reported by a sports news outlet.

Teqball, a sport that originated in Hungary, merges elements of football with a uniquely curved table. It can be seen as a fusion of freestyle football and sepak takraw, played on a table tennis-like surface.

Gonsalves and Beg have already made history by winning India's inaugural medal in teqball, securing a bronze in men's doubles at the 2024 World Championships held in Vietnam.

In the men's doubles competition, the duo is placed in Group B and will participate in two matches on Thursday at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Centre.

The Indian pair's first match will be against Vietnam's Truong Giang Ba and Anh Khoa Le at 12:30 PM IST, followed by a clash with South Korea's Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Lee at 1:00 PM IST.

Later in the day, the quarter-finals will take place, and the Indian team must successfully navigate the group stage to reach the knockout rounds. Additionally, a repechage route provides a second opportunity for advancement.

This edition of the Asian Games marks the debut of teqball, featuring five medal events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, scheduled from September 17 to 20.