A fast-growing sport called teqball is making its official debut at the Asian Games in Japan this weekend. Teqball combines elements of table tennis and soccer. Players use their feet, chest, or head to hit a standard soccer ball over a specially designed curved table, but they are not allowed to use their hands or arms.
In teqball, matches are played as singles or doubles. Players can touch the ball up to three times before passing it back over the net. However, a player cannot hit the ball with the same body part twice in a row. This rule requires high agility and precise ball control, leading to dynamic and acrobatic rallies.
Thailand has emerged as the strongest nation in the sport. Many top Thai players, including world champion Jutatip Kuntatong, previously trained in sepak takraw—a traditional Southeast Asian sport often described as "foot volleyball." Because sepak takraw relies heavily on jumping kicks without hands, Thai athletes have adapted easily to teqball, often using acrobatic bicycle kicks to score points.
Invented in Hungary just over a decade ago, teqball is expanding rapidly around the world. Teams from 16 nations are competing at the Asian Games. Sports officials hope the tournament will raise interest among younger players as teqball works toward its goal of becoming an Olympic sport by 2032.