Lee Jun-suk, 27, secured South Korea’s first-ever medal in teqball at the Asian Games.
Lee Jun-seok, captain of South Korea’s teqball team, advanced to the final after earning a walkover victory over Zaid Eidan (Kuwait) in the men’s singles semifinal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 19th at the Higashi Sports Center in Nagoya, Japan. This marks South Korea’s first medal in teqball, which debuted as an official Asian Games event. Having guaranteed at least a silver medal by reaching the final, Lee Jun-seok will challenge for the inaugural Asian Games championship on the 20th against Iraq’s Ali Jalil Mezher Aleiya.
The turning point came in the first set. Lee Jun-seok and Eidan traded points early on, engaging in a tight battle. Lee unnerved his opponent with attacks using both his right and left foot. His smashes, particularly when he swung his right foot powerfully to slam the ball down the right side of the table, were especially effective. He alternated between powerful strikes and softly dropping the ball into empty spaces, disrupting Eidan’s defense.
Eidan did not back down easily. The two players remained locked at 10-10 deep into the set. Lee Jun-seok clinched the final two points to win the first set 12-10, extending his unbeaten streak in sets that began in the group stage.
The second set featured intense rallies. Lee Jun-seok utilized the width of the table to keep Eidan moving and switched attack angles by alternating his feet. Even while building a 3-2 lead, he secured points after prolonged exchanges.
However, an unexpected turn followed. Eidan suddenly collapsed on the court, clutching his left hamstring. After struggling to rise for some time, he withdrew from the match. Lee Jun-seok claimed the walkover. Post-match, Lee apologized to Eidan, who exited in a wheelchair, saying, “I’m sorry.” Eidan responded, “It’s not your fault,” and the two shook hands, wishing each other luck.
Lee Jun-seok has been on a relentless run in the men’s singles event. After sweeping all five group-stage matches in Group B on the 17th—defeating players from Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan—he crushed Kyrgyzstan’s Kudaiberdi Aidarbekov 2-0 (12-2, 12-1) in the quarterfinals. He remained unbeaten in sets through the semifinals. “I was worried about what I’d do if I didn’t win a medal,” Lee said. “I’ll pour everything into the final.”
Teqball is played on a specially curved table, with players using their feet, head, chest, or thighs (excluding hands and arms) to rally a football. It combines elements of table tennis’ angular play, football and jukgu’s ball control, and sepak takraw’s aerial attacks. It made its Asian Games debut at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya edition.
For Lee Jun-seok, who previously played football and jukgu, his ability to freely use both feet is a significant strength. After learning teqball was adopted as an official Asian Games event, he quit his contract job at a large corporation and dedicated himself to earning a spot on the national team. He funded his own training in Hungary, the sport’s birthplace, to pursue his teqball ambitions.
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