Asian Games 2026: Quimcy DSouza falls short in Teqball Bronze Match, India lose Mixed Doubles Bronze to Vietnam

India's Quimcy Dsouza missed out on a historic Teqball medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, losing the women's singles bronze-medal match to Japan's Yuina Sakamoto on Sunday.

Sakamoto defeated Dsouza 2-0, with both sets ending 12-11. The Japanese player thus claimed the bronze medal in the women's singles event, while Dsouza finished fourth.

The result was particularly significant given Dsouza's remarkable run in the competition. Making her Asian Games debut in Teqball's first appearance at the continental Games, the Indian had already produced one of the tournament's notable upsets by defeating Sakamoto 2-1 (10-12, 12-11, 13-11) in the group stage.

Dsouza subsequently topped her group and advanced directly to the semifinals. She then narrowly lost 1-2 (12-7, 9-12, 7-12) to Indonesia's Ima Sumaya in the last-four clash, leaving her with a final opportunity to secure a medal against Sakamoto.

The 24-year-old Mumbai-born athlete has become one of India's pioneers in Teqball. A seven-time national champion, she took up the sport in 2022 after previously competing in athletics and football. She discovered Teqball after watching Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho play the sport on Instagram.

Despite missing the podium, Dsouza's semifinal appearance marked a significant milestone for Indian Teqball at its Asian Games debut. The World no. 24 has a bright future ahead and she will be hoping to come back stronger in the upcoming editions of the game.

India lose Bronze Medal Mixed Doubles

Later, India fell short in the mixed doubles Bronze medal match as well. Quimcy featured in the Mixed Doubles team Bronze medal match against Vietnam, pairing up with Mohamed Anas Beg. The pair lost in straight sets as Quincy also suffered a back injury amid the encounter.