Wai Khin Hnin defeated Indonesia’s Sumaya 2-1 in the women’s singles final to claim the inaugural Asian Games title.

NAGOYA: Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hnin made history on Sunday by winning the first-ever Asian Games gold medal in teqball, a sport that combines football skills with elements of table tennis.

Wai Khin Hnin defeated Indonesia’s Sumaya 2-1 in the women’s singles final to claim the inaugural Asian Games title.

Football legend and former Barcelona and Spain defender Carles Puyol watched the final as the new sport made its Asian Games debut in Japan.

Wai Khin Hnin lost the opening set but fought back to win the match 10-12, 12-8, 12-9.

“I’m delighted and thankful to my head coach for believing in me and selecting me,” she said after winning the gold medal.

“I believed that I could do it.”

Her next target is to win another gold medal for Myanmar at the 2027 Southeast Asian Games.

What is teqball?

Teqball is a relatively new sport that combines football and table tennis. Players use their feet, head and body to send a football over a curved table.

The sport was invented in Hungary around 14 years ago and includes elements similar to sepak takraw, a popular Southeast Asian sport.

Teqball has expanded rapidly in recent years and was included in the 2023 European Games.

Young and experienced players compete

The Asian Games teqball competition has featured players from different backgrounds and age groups.

The Philippines men’s team included three 14-year-old players. One of them, Prince Agustin, narrowly missed a medal after losing the singles bronze-medal match.

Japan’s Takahiro Nodomi also attracted attention. The 40-year-old athlete is a comedian who previously played football until high school before taking up teqball in his late 30s.

“Even old guys can work hard,” Nodomi said, describing his participation as a chance to show his “old guy power.”

Indonesia’s Husni Uba also brought considerable experience to the competition. The 44-year-old previously represented Indonesia in sepak takraw at four Asian Games.

He said he did not expect to return to the Asian Games after competing in sepak takraw at the 2018 edition, but eventually made it back through teqball.