Quimcy D’Souza to Fight for Bronze After Heartbreaking Teqball Semifinal Defeat at Asian Games 2026

India’s Quimcy D’Souza will have another opportunity to create history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the women’s singles Teqball semifinal against Indonesia’s Sumaya.

D’Souza won the opening set 12-7 and then opened up a 7-3 lead in the deciding third set, putting herself within touching distance of the final. However, Sumaya produced a remarkable turnaround, winning nine consecutive points to overturn the deficit and take the deciding set 12-7.

The final score read 12-7, 9-12, and 7-12 in Sumaya’s favor. The defeat ended D’Souza’s hopes of reaching the gold-medal match, but it did not end her medal campaign. The Indian will now play for bronze, with the medal match scheduled for 6:30 AM IST on Sunday, September 20.

D’Souza’s run in the women’s singles competition has already been one of the standout stories of India’s early Asian Games campaign. Teqball is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya, meaning the competition offers the sport its first opportunity to produce Asian Games medallists. D’Souza entered the tournament as one of India's leading players and immediately faced a formidable challenge in Group A. 

Her opening opponent was Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto, the world No. 7. D’Souza responded to losing the opening set by producing a dramatic comeback. She won the second set 12-11 before edging the deciding set 13-11 to complete a 2-1 victory.

The result was significant not only because of the opponent but also because of the manner of the comeback. D’Souza demonstrated composure in the closing stages of two extremely tight sets to secure a major upset. (NDTV Sports)

She followed that victory with a more comfortable performance against Cambodia’s Koemyean DY, winning 12-9, 12-7. Two victories took D’Souza to the top of Group A and gave her direct passage into the semifinals, meaning she did not have to play a quarterfinal.

The semifinal against Indonesia’s Sumaya was another test of D’Souza’s ability to handle momentum swings. The Indian started strongly and took the opening set 12-7. With a place in the final within reach, D’Souza looked to be in control of the contest. Sumaya, however, responded in the second set. The Indonesian player took advantage of the momentum shift to win 12-9 and level the match at one set apiece.

That sent the contest into a deciding third set, where D’Souza initially appeared to have regained control. She moved into a 7-3 lead, leaving herself just five points away from victory. Instead, Sumaya produced the decisive passage of the match. The Indonesian won nine straight points to turn 3-7 into 12-7, completing a dramatic comeback and securing her place in the final.

For D’Souza, it was a painful end to a semifinal in which she had been within touching distance of victory.

Bronze remains within reach

Despite the semifinal defeat, D’Souza's Asian Games campaign is not over. She will now play the women’s singles bronze-medal match, giving her an opportunity to become India's first Teqball medallist at the Asian Games. The bronze-medal contest is scheduled for 6:30 AM IST on September 20.

D’Souza is expected to face Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto, whom she already defeated in the group stage. That earlier meeting went the distance, with D’Souza recovering from a 10-12 opening-set loss to win 12-11, 13-11. 

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That previous encounter adds another layer to the bronze-medal battle. Sakamoto will have the opportunity to respond after losing their earlier meeting, while D’Souza will look to reproduce the composure that helped her overcome the Japanese player in the group stage.

Regardless of the outcome of the bronze-medal match, D’Souza has already made an important mark at the first Asian Games to feature Teqball. The sport combines elements of football and table tennis and is played on a specially curved table. Players use different parts of the body to control and return a football across the table, requiring coordination, balance, precision, and quick reactions. Teqball is one of the new sports introduced at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. 

D’Souza’s run is particularly notable given the quality of her opponents. She defeated the world No. 7 in her opening match, topped her group, and then came within five points of reaching the Asian Games final. Her performance has already placed her among the Indian athletes to watch in the early stages of the Games.

D’Souza’s singles campaign is also not her only medal opportunity at Aichi-Nagoya. She and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg remain in contention for a medal in the mixed doubles competition after winning their repechage match. The Indian pair defeated the Philippines’ Jhoana Abulencia and Prince Agustin 12-3, 12-6 after losing their quarterfinal against Vietnam. 

That means D’Souza could potentially finish her Asian Games debut with medals in both women’s singles and mixed doubles. For now, however, the focus is firmly on the singles bronze-medal match.

After a stunning group-stage upset, a dominant second victory, and a semifinal in which she led 7-3 in the deciding set, Quimcy D’Souza has one more battle ahead. The heartbreak of the semifinal is still fresh, but the opportunity remains: one more win could give India a historic Teqball medal at its Asian Games debut.