India’s Quimcy Dsouza had a major upset at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and defeated Japan’s top-seeded Yuina Sakamoto in the women’s singles teqball competition.
Dsouza defeated the Japanese star in a tense three-set contest, 10-12, 12-11, 13-11. The victory puts the Indian within touching distance of a historic medal in teqball, a sport that will make its Asian Games debut this year.
Dsouza Stuns Top Seed In Thrilling Contest
Dsouza had been drawn in Group A with Sakamoto and Cambodia's Koemyean Dy. Sakamoto entered the competition as the top seed, which only made India's victory more significant.
The Japanese player took the opening set 12-10, so Dsouza had to fight back. The Indian won the second set 12-11 to level the match.
The deciding set went right down to the wire. Dsouza kept her nerve and won 13-11 to complete the comeback against Sakamoto.
The result was also significant considering Sakamoto's status in the women's singles field as one of the leading players. And Dsouza's win also kept India's hopes of clinching its first Asian Games teqball medal alive.
Quimcy D'Souza INTO SEMIS!!
— Bharat Sports (@Bharatkhel) September 18, 2026
She topped the Pool Awith wins over Sakamoto (2-1) & Koemyean 🇰🇭 (2-0) at Asian Games!!
1 win away from historic medal 🏅
Let's go Quimcy 😍#AsianGames2026 pic.twitter.com/ehkIoI82V5
After the upset victory over Sakamoto, Dsouza got into a crucial position in the women's singles competition.
The tournament structure involves group-stage matches and knockout rounds. Dsouza had to face Cambodia's Koemyean Dy in her other Group A match, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
If Dsouza gets into the medal rounds and wins her next knockout match, she would move closer to getting on the podium.
The significance goes beyond Dsouza’s individual campaign. Teqball will make its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, and there are five medal events to be played out- men's singles, women's singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
India's three-person teqball squad comprises Mohamed Anas Imran Beg, Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Quimcy Dsouza. Beg and Gonsalves have played in men's doubles, while Dsouza will compete in women's singles and be the partner of Beg in mixed doubles.
India’s Teqball Campaign Gains Momentum.
India entered the Asian Games with some international credentials in the sport. Beg and Gonsalves won India's first teqball medal, a bronze in men's doubles at the 2024 World Teqball Championships in Vietnam.
Dsouza herself is a seven-time national champion and has been a key part of India’s rapid growth in international teqball. And her victory against Sakamoto now means the country has another chance to play a big part in the sport’s continental debut.
The Indian team has had a mixed start to the competition. Beg and Gonsalves were in men's doubles on the opening day, while Dsouza's women's singles campaign has provided another big moment for the country.
What is Teqball?
Teqball is a relatively young sport that combines football and table tennis. Players compete on a specially designed curved table and use body parts such as the feet, thighs, knees, chest and head to return the ball. Hands and arms are not allowed.
The sport originated in Hungary and has grown internationally since its development in the 2010s. A place in the 2026 Asian Games will see athletes from all over Asia compete for the first continental medals.
Dsouza’s focus is now on the next stage of the tournament. She had already succeeded against the top seed in a three-set affair and is in line for one of India’s earliest significant achievements in Asian Games teqball.
With the women's singles medal rounds approaching, another victory could take Dsouza a step closer to putting India on the Asian Games teqball podium.
