Kuwait's teqball team advances to the semifinals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan
Kuwait - 17 - 9 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti teqball player Zaid Al-Aidan advanced to the semifinals of the men's singles event, while players Basel Ahmad and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan also reached the semifinals in the men's doubles event at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026), which are being hosted in Japan until October 4 next.
Muhammad Al-Khalafan, Director General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee and head of the Kuwaiti delegation, a retired major general, said in a press statement on Thursday that Al-Aidan played four matches in Group A during the qualification round, securing three wins out of four, which was sufficient to advance to the finals of the competition.
He added that Al-Aidan defeated the Myanmar player 2-0, the Mongolian player 2-0, and the Kyrgyz player 2-0, while losing one match to the Iraqi player 0-2. Al-Aidan then regained his momentum in the quarterfinals, defeating the Japanese player 2-0.
Al-Khalafan explained that the duo of Basel Ahmad and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan also advanced to the semifinals of the men's doubles teqball event following a stellar performance. They confidently overcame the qualification hurdles, confirming their high readiness to compete for a place on the podium.
He noted that Ahmad and Al-Qattan are scheduled to face the Lebanese team in the semifinals next Saturday, while the mixed doubles pair of Salman Al-Ibrahim and Hessa Al-Faylakaawi will begin their campaign in the mixed doubles teqball event on the same day.
Al-Khalafan stated that this advancement for the Kuwaiti players represents a notable achievement in teqball, a relatively new sport on the Asian stage, and affirmed their technical and physical readiness for the semifinal match.
In a related context, Ali Al-Mari, Deputy Secretary General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, said in a similar statement that the Kuwait Olympic football team has launched intensive on-field training in preparation for its crucial and decisive match against the Uzbekistan team in the Asian Games.
Al-Mari emphasized the committee's commitment to supporting the players and expressed strong confidence in their abilities to deliver a dignified performance that meets the aspirations of the Kuwaiti fans. He noted that the training sessions were held in a highly enthusiastic atmosphere with high morale among the players of the "Olympic Blue" team, focusing on technical and tactical aspects and implementing certain tactical sequences that the coaching staff aims to rely on in the match.
It is worth noting that teqball is a ball sport that combines elements of football and table tennis. It is played on a curved table where players exchange the ball using any part of the body except the arms and hands. The sport was officially recognized by the Asian Olympic Committee in August 2018. (End) M.Y.M / A.M.H
