Nagoya: South Korea's Lee Jun-suk reached the semifinals in the men's singles teqball competition, marking a successful debut for the sport at the Asian Games in central Japan on Thursday. Lee showcased his dominance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center, located in the northern part of Nagoya.
According to Yonhap News Agency, teqball, invented in Hungary in 2014, combines elements of football, table tennis, freestyle skills, and sepaktakraw. The game is played on a curved table, with players allowed to hit the ball using any part of their body except their hands and arms. Players must return the ball with a maximum of three touches, and in doubles, teammates must pass the ball at least once to each other. A unique rule allows each player in singles or each team in doubles two smashes per set that send the ball out of play, encouraging a broader range of attacking strategies and prolonged rallies.
Lee, 27, had an impressive run, defeating Alisa Phomsouliya of Laos 2-0 (12-1, 12-0) in his opening Group B match. He continued his streak by overcoming Prince Agustin of the Philippines 2-0 (12-5, 12-6), Yoga Ardika Putra of Indonesia 2-0 (12-1, 12-3), Ba Truong Giang of Vietnam 2-0 (12-8, 12-4), and finally Akinori Wase of Japan 2-0 (12-5, 12-9) to complete an undefeated group stage.
In the tournament, Group A comprised five players, while Group B had six, with the top four from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. As the top seed from Group B, Lee defeated Kudaiberdi Abdilazizovich Aidarbekov of Kyrgyzstan, the fourth seed from Group A, with a 2-0 (12-2, 12-1) victory in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are set for Saturday, with the bronze and gold medal matches scheduled for Sunday.
Reflecting on his performance, Lee expressed confidence, stating, "I thought I could win a lot of matches as long as I executed my plans and didn't get too nervous. But I never thought I could win all five matches without dropping one game."
Lee's matches were witnessed by enthusiastic South Korean fans in the 400-seat arena, where the atmosphere intensified during his match against Wase as South Korean and Japanese supporters competed vocally. Lee acknowledged the added significance of competing against a Japanese athlete, saying, "At the start of the match, I told myself I could not afford to lose this one. And I wanted to have a big reaction before the Japanese fans, too."
The sport has attracted athletes from football and sepaktakraw backgrounds, with South Korea entering the international teqball scene in 2019. Lee, a former football player who reached the fourth division in South Korea at 21, exemplifies this crossover appeal.