Wai Khin Hnin wins inaugural Asian games teqball gold for Myanmar

Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hnin made Asian Games history on Sunday by becoming the first athlete to win a gold medal in teqball as the sport made its debut at the event in Japan.

Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hnin made Asian Games history on Sunday by becoming the first athlete to win a gold medal in teqball as the sport made its debut at the event in Japan.

Wai Khin Hnin defeated Indonesia’s Sumaya 2-1 in the women’s singles final to claim the inaugural Asian Games teqball title. After losing the opening set 12-10 the Myanmar player fought back strongly to win the next two sets 12-8 and 12-9.

The historic final was watched by former Barcelona and Spain football star Carles Puyol who was among those in attendance as teqball crowned its first Asian Games champion.

Wai Khin Hnin said she was delighted with the victory and expressed gratitude to her head coach for believing in her and selecting her for the women’s singles competition. She added that she had believed she could win the gold medal.

The Myanmar champion has already set her sights on another major target saying her next goal is to win gold for her country at the 2027 Southeast Asian Games.

Teqball is a relatively new sport that combines elements of football and table tennis. It was invented in Hungary around 14 years ago and is played on a curved table with competitors using different parts of their bodies to return a football over the net. The sport also incorporates elements associated with sepak takraw, a popular Southeast Asian sport.

Teqball has expanded rapidly since its creation and was included in the 2023 European Games before making its Asian Games debut this year.

The inaugural competition featured athletes from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups. The Philippines men’s team, for example, included three 14-year-old players including Prince Agustin, who competed in the singles bronze-medal match.

Japan also had an unusual representative in Takahiro Nodomi who works as a comedian. Nodomi previously played football until high school before taking up teqball in his late 30s. At 40, he reached the Asian Games stage and said he hoped his journey would show that people can continue working hard regardless of age.

Indonesia’s Husni Uba also brought considerable experience to the competition. The 44-year-old had previously represented Indonesia in sepak takraw at four Asian Games and said he never expected to return to the event after competing in the 2018 edition.

Wai Khin Hnin’s victory, however will go down as a landmark moment for both Myanmar and teqball, giving her the distinction of becoming the sport’s first Asian Games gold medalist.