India's Teqball Hurdle: Early Exit at Asian Games 2026

India's teqball team started their Asian Games 2026 campaign on a sour note, with Declan Gonsalves and Mohamed Beg failing to advance in the men's doubles category. Despite a World Championship medal background, the pair could not progress past the group stage, finishing last in Group B.

India's teqball journey at the 2026 Asian Games began unfavorably as athletes Declan Gonsalves and Mohamed Beg suffered an early exit in the men's doubles. Competing in teqball, which uniquely blends football with table tennis on a curved table, India faced a challenging start to their campaign.

The Indian duo faced defeat against South Korea's Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Le. They were outperformed, losing 4-12 and 7-12 in consecutive games, concluding their run at the bottom of Group B, according to ESPN. In an earlier match, they narrowly missed victory against Vietnam, finishing 10-12, 8-12, even though the first game was closely contested at 10-10.

While Declan's participation ends here, Mohamed eagerly anticipates the mixed doubles event, set to commence Thursday morning. Notably, both athletes boast a bronze medal from the 2024 World Championships, marking India's historic achievement in teqball.