At the Asian Games in Nagoya, South Korea's Lee Jun-seok reached the teqball final and secured at least a silver medal. When his opponent retired with an injury, he held back any celebration and walked over to shake hands, a moment that drew wide attention.
Teqball is played on a curved table, with players returning the ball using feet, head and chest. It combines football technique with the structure of table tennis, and its defining rules bar the use of hands and forbid touching the ball twice with the same body part.
광고 문의 · 300×250The sport was adopted as an official competition event only recently, and these Games are expected to raise its profile across Asia. Korea has built its squad largely from players converting from football.
After the retirement settled the match, Lee moved toward his opponent rather than celebrating. The reaction in the arena was, if anything, louder, and the moment was counted among the talking points of the early Games.
Korea entered the opening ceremony behind flag bearers Shin Yu-bin and Kim Dong-yong. Criticism of preparation, centered on accommodation and transport, surfaced in the opening days.
Medals in new sports often become an opening for growth at the base. Whether equipment and courts spread, coaches are trained, and school clubs take the sport up will decide results at the next Games.
