Asiad 20 on Sept 20: Teqball secures historic bronze for Vietnam, Karate adds more hope

Under the bright morning sun in Nagoya, the sound of a ball bouncing off the curved Teqball table felt like a strange new heartbeat. Nguyen Hoang Minh Tan and Trinh Gia Nghi hugged after the decisive strike. They had just defeated Indian pair Dsouza Quimcy Joaquim and Beg Mohamed Anas Imran 2-0 to bring Vietnam its first bronze medal at Asiad 20. The moment came on September 20, 2026, at the Nagoya Congress Center, where Teqball made its official debut in the Asian Games program. Teqball combines football and table tennis. Instead of a net, players use a curved table; the ball can be touched only by the foot, head, chest or knee, never by the hands. Each side has a maximum of three touches, with no player allowed to touch the ball twice in a row. Control in tight spaces, fast reflexes and teamwork are essential. The success of Minh Tan and Gia Nghi came from disciplined preparation rather than luck. Vietnam was still unfamiliar with teqball before Asiad 20. The team adapted quickly. They defended calmly and attacked with variety, using the curved table to create awkward angles. In the bronze-medal match against India, they stayed composed and closed out a 2-0 victory, making history. The men's doubles team of Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa lost to Iraq in their bronze-medal match on the morning of September 20. It was a missed chance, but having two Vietnamese pairs in medal matches proved the sport's rapid progress. In karate, Bui Ngoc Nhi won bronze in the women's individual kata. Kata is a performance discipline showing offensive and defensive movements against imaginary opponents. She lost 0-5 to Japan's Ono Maho in the opening match, then beat Choi Haeun of South Korea 5-0 and Leong Wai Yee Shannon of Singapore 4-1 to reach the podium. On September 22, she will compete in the women's team kata quarterfinal against Nepal. After half a day of competition, China led the medal table with 2 golds, 4 silvers and 1 bronze. Lin Xinyu won China's first gold in the women's triathlon. Japan was second with 2 golds and 3 bronzes. Macao, South Korea and Kazakhstan each had 1 gold. Vietnam was ninth with 2 bronzes. The first Vietnamese medals came from technical sports. This shows new directions for Vietnamese sport. Teqball and kata demand precision, focus and tactical intelligence. With proper investment, Vietnam can compete strongly in these events in future Asian Games.