First-ever silver medal secured in 'teqball,' the foot-based table tennis! The Miracle of Nagoya written by Lee Jun-seok

[Financial News] The first medal in South Korean sports history has been won in the newly established sport of 'teqball.' Lee Jun-seok (27) advanced to the final after overcoming a thrilling comeback and an opponent's withdrawal in the semifinals, and will go on to hunt for the coveted first gold medal today (the 20th).
Lee Jun-seok won by default against Zaid Aidan of Kuwait in the second set of the men's singles teqball semifinal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Nagoya Higashi Sports Center on the 19th. With this victory, Lee Jun-seok secured at least a silver medal, along with the title of Korea's first teqball medalist.
The first set was a nail-biting battle with an unpredictable outcome. Early in the match, Lee Jun-seok, still not fully warmed up, conceded four consecutive points and fell behind 0-4. However, he exploited his opponent's weaknesses with sharp short serves, scoring four consecutive points to level the score. Riding this momentum, Lee pulled ahead to 10-6, utilizing his signature exquisite ball control and tenacious defense. Although he faced a crisis after allowing Aidan to tie the score at 10-10 due to a fierce counterattack, he secured the first set 12-10 by inducing consecutive errors from his opponent following a calm rally.
The balance of the match tilted sharply early in the second set. Just as Lee Jun-seok was narrowly leading 3-2, Aidan collapsed on the court complaining of sudden pain in his left thigh muscle. The Kuwait bench rushed to provide emergency treatment, but Aidan was unable to get up, and the match was eventually stopped, confirming Lee Jun-seok's victory.

Teqball, often referred to as "table tennis played with the feet," is a unique sport played by passing a soccer ball over a special curved table. Invented in Hungary in 2012, it gained popularity through word of mouth as a training and recreational activity among famous European soccer stars, eventually spreading across the globe. It features strict rules, similar to volleyball, requiring the ball to be passed to the opponent's side within three touches, and prohibiting consecutive touches with the same body part. The first player to reach 12 points wins a set, and deuce applies only to the final third set.
Korea competed in three events at the Nagoya tournament's teqball competition: men's singles, men's doubles (Lee Jun-seok and Lee Tae Vin), and mixed doubles (Kim Eun-jun and Jang Eun-seo). Lee Jun-seok was the only one to advance from the group stage, fighting a lonely battle.
Lee Jun-seok, carrying the pride of Korean teqball on his shoulders, will face off against Iraq's Ali Jalil Mezher Al-Eabi today (the 20th) in a fierce golden showdown for the title of the inaugural Asian champion.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter