India’s Asian Games 2026 journey starts with a sport many fans may still be seeing for the first time. Before cricket, hockey, athletics or badminton take over the headlines, teqball will put the first Indian athletes into competition in Aichi-Nagoya.
India begins its campaign on Thursday, September 17, two days before the official opening ceremony on September 19. Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg will open in men’s doubles, giving India an unusual start to the continental Games.
What Is Teqball and How Is the Sport Played?
Teqball looks a little like table tennis played with a football, although its curved table gives rallies a character of their own. The sport was developed in Hungary and is played on a specially designed TEQ table. Players can use their feet, knees, thighs, chest, and head, while hands and arms are excluded.
According to FITEQ’s official teqball rules, matches are played as best of three sets, with each set going to 12 points. A player or team can take no more than three touches before returning the ball. Doubles partners must also combine during the exchange.
The result can be surprisingly quick and acrobatic. Headers, controlled first touches, bicycle kicks and attacking returns can all appear during the same rally.
Key rules worth knowing are:
- A standard size-five football is used.
- Players get a maximum of three touches before returning the ball.
- Hands and arms cannot be used.
- The same body part cannot touch the ball twice consecutively.
- Service changes after every two points.
- Players cannot touch the table or their opponent during play.
The Asian Games description of teqball also highlights its mix of football, table tennis and freestyle elements.
When Does India Begin Its Asian Games 2026 Campaign?
India’s first competitive appearance comes on September 17 at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center. Gonsalves and Beg have been placed in Group B of the men’s doubles competition.
Their opening match is against Vietnam’s Truong Giang Ba and Anh Khoa Le at 1:30 PM IST. They are then scheduled to face South Korea’s Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Lee at 2:00 PM IST. Qualification can send them into the knockout phase, while a repechage route is also part of the competition format.
That date may surprise fans because the 20th Asian Games officially run from September 19 to October 4. Several competitions begin before the opening ceremony, however, and India’s first sporting action arrives through teqball.
The official Aichi-Nagoya venue page confirms that Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center will stage both teqball and padel.
Who Is Representing India in Teqball?
India has three teqball athletes in Aichi-Nagoya: Mohamed Anas Imran Beg, Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Quimcy Dsouza. Beg and Gonsalves will compete in men’s doubles, while Beg will partner Dsouza in mixed doubles. Dsouza will also enter women’s singles.
The men’s doubles pair already has an important international result behind it. Gonsalves and Beg won bronze at the 2024 World Teqball Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, becoming India’s first World Championships medallists in the sport.
The achievement is documented by the International Teqball Federation, which recorded their run through the tournament before Thailand’s Sorrasak Thaosiri and Jirati Chanliang stopped them in the semifinal.
Dsouza enters the Asian Games as a seven-time national champion. Her women’s singles action is scheduled for September 18, including matches against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto and Cambodia’s Koemyean Dy.
Teqball is also making its Asian Games medal debut in Aichi-Nagoya. Five medal events feature on the programme: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. FITEQ confirmed teqball’s inclusion as a medal sport in February 2026.
What Should Fans Watch Next at Asian Games 2026?
The immediate focus is India’s men’s doubles group on September 17. The teqball campaign continues on September 18 through women’s singles and mixed doubles, while India’s women’s cricket team also enters competition against Japan in the quarter-final.
India has sent 503 athletes to the Games, with action later expanding across shooting, hockey, badminton, swimming, athletics, wrestling, table tennis and several other disciplines. For the opening chapter of India’s campaign, though, the curved teqball table gets centre stage.
FAQs
What is teqball?
Teqball is a football-based sport played over a curved table without using hands or arms.
When does India start at Asian Games 2026?
India begins competition September 17, 2026, with the men’s doubles teqball group stage in Nagoya.
Who plays first for India?
Declan Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg open India’s campaign together in men’s doubles competition.
Where will India’s teqball matches be played?
India’s teqball matches are scheduled at Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan currently.
Is teqball making its Asian Games debut?
Yes, teqball officially makes its medal-sport debut at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya during 2026.
Big Races, Bigger Indian Sporting Moments!
Could F1 Really Return to India?
Check out the latest task force plans exploring F1’s return to India.
Which Athletes Could Shine at Aichi-Nagoya?
Find out which Indian athletes could target major Asian Games medals.
Can India Beat Its Previous Record?
Uncover India’s 508-member contingent and medal hopes across 35 sports.
Who Won F4’s Opening Races?
Browse the young drivers who secured the first wins at Kari Motor Speedway.
Why Did India Reject the Trophy?
Reveal BCCI’s explanation behind the women’s decision after the Asia Cup final.
