India Secure Historic First Medal In Teqball Championships, Declan Gonsalves & Anas Baig Win Bronze

The realm of sports constantly goes through a revolutionary phase, and India’s representation in distinct sports continues to stay. Two Indian players recently made their way into the unique sport of Teqball and made a colossal mark in the sport while representing the country. Anas Baig and Declan Gonsalves recently took part in the 2024 Teqball World Championships and delivered over expectations as their performance wowed the fans. While the Indian team missed out on the gold race, Gonsalves and Baig clinched third place in the championship tournament and secured a medal for India in the doubles category.

Indian athletes Anas Baig and Declan Gonsalves have bagged the first-ever medal for the country in the game of Teqball. At the Teqball World Championships 2024, the duo clinched India’s first medal after winning the bronze medal. The duo of Gonsalves and Baig suffered a loss in the semi-final to the eventual champs, Thailand. Since Chanliang/Thaosiri eliminated any chance of an upset and advanced to the final in this category as well, the Asian derby ended up being a little one-sided. The Indian team knew they were going to require a miracle to defeat the Thais, but they played without stress after making history by winning their nation’s first medal. They defeated Ukraine’s Shevchuk/Usichenko 2-1 in the quarterfinals, becoming only the 11th nation to win a medal.

In 2024, Vietnam held the Teqball World Championships for the first time, bringing 221 athletes from 95 countries to compete in five distinct categories in the tournament: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Thailand stood at the top of the leaderboard with five medals, while India secured the bronze.

Teqball is a sport which stands out among the others as it blends two classic sports and makes it a dynamic coalition. The game merges the footwork and skills of football while also requiring the accuracy of table tennis. The game also consists of a uniquely designed table called the Teq Table. Unlike the one used in table tennis, the Teq Table is curved.

The rules of the game state that the players are allowed up to three touches of the ball, ensuring no consecutive touches by the same body part, before returning it towards the opposition. They have to make use of their legs and feet and avoid using their hands. The sport has it’s own governing federation, known as International Teqball Federation (FITEQ).