Football on a curved table, a match without foundations: Five little-known sports of India to compete at the 2026 Asian Games
Teqball, Kurash, Soft Tennis, Sepak Takraw and Sport Climbing. The Asian Games have always been more than just a showcase of sports that dominate television screens.From cricket and hockey to athletics, shooting, badminton and wrestling, some disciplines have deep popularity in India. But Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will also focus on sports that remain largely unknown to the country’s mainstream sports audience.The 20th Asian Games will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, with around 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports. India will be represented by 503 athletes across a wide range of disciplines.Some of these sports are internationally known but are still gaining a following in India. For example, mixed martial arts, surfing, esports and padel are expanding rapidly and attracting increasing global attention.There are also sports such as Teqball, Kurash, Soft Tennis, Sepak Takraw and Sport Climbing.They may not yet command the same audiences as cricket, badminton or hockey in India, but they will be part of the Asian Games campaign in Japan.So, what exactly are these sports?
Teqball (Getty Images)
Teqball: When soccer meets table tennis
If soccer and table tennis were combined into one sport, the result might look something like teqball.Played on a specially designed curved table, Teqball requires players to control and return the ball using body parts other than their hands and arms. This sport combines soccer technique with the precision and rhythm associated with table tennis. Players can compete in singles or doubles with a maximum of three touches before the ball must be returned.The sport was developed in Hungary and has grown rapidly over the last ten years.And Aichi-Nagoya will mark an important milestone: Teqball debuts as a medal sport at the Asian Games. The Olympic Council of Asia added it to the 2026 program in March.India will have three representatives: Mohamed Anas Imran Beg, Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Quimcy Dsouza. He will compete in men’s doubles, mixed doubles and women’s singles.Soccer becomes the subject of a game that looks part tennis rally, part freestyle soccer, and part table tennis exchange.
Kurash: A wrestling sport where the fight is on the feet
Kurash may look familiar to anyone who has watched judo or wrestling, but its rules create a significantly different contest.An ancient tradition of jacket wrestling from Central Asia, particularly associated with Uzbekistan, Kurash is built around throws rather than ground combat.The defining feature is simple: the competition remains standing.Competitors wear jackets and belts and attempt to throw their opponent on their back. Groundwork is not allowed, while techniques such as punches, kicks, gags and joint locks are prohibited.This makes Kurash a fast and explosive sport. There is little of the long-term ground anchoring that viewers may associate with some other combat disciplines. Emphasis is placed on grip, balance, timing, strength and the ability to make a clean throw.Kurash has been part of the Asian Games program in recent editions and India already has a small but significant history in the sport.India won two Kurash medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, both in the women’s 52 kg category. Pincky Balhara won silver and Malaprabha Jadhav took bronze.Aichi-Nagoya Indian team includes Vipin Kumar in Men’s 66kg, Vishal and Yash Kumar in Men’s 90kg, Bharti and Sangit Balhar in Women’s 57kg and Pincky Chauhan in Women’s 78kg.For Indian viewers accustomed to wrestling, judo and kabaddi, Kurash is perhaps one of the easier sports to understand once the main rule is known: throw the opponent off balance, throw him cleanly and stay on his feet.
Soft Tennis: It looks like tennis, but the ball changes everything
At first glance, Soft Tennis can be confused with regular tennis.The court and the network are generally known. Players use rockets. The goal is to still hit the ball into the opponent’s field.But the equipment and game features are different.Soft Tennis uses a light, air-filled rubber ball rather than the heavier felt-covered ball used in regular tennis. According to the International Soft Tennis Federation, the ball weighs between 30 and 31 grams. The softer and lighter ball changes the rhythm of the game.Soft Tennis originated in Japan at the end of the 19th century and subsequently spread throughout Asia. It has been part of the Asian Games program since 1994.The scoring system is also different from regular tennis. Rather than the familiar 15-30-40 sequence, Soft Tennis uses numerical scoring, making it easier for newcomers to track scoring.India has competed in soft tennis at previous Asian Games but is yet to win a medal. Aichi-Nagoya will therefore provide another opportunity to break this drought.India’s six-member team consists of Yogesh Choudhary, Om Yadav, Jay Meena, Aniket Chirag Patel, Aryan Thakur and Aadhya Tiwari. They will compete in the men’s team event, men’s singles and mixed doubles, with Aadhya also entered in the women’s singles.
Kick Takraw
Sepak Takraw: Soccer skills on the volleyball court
Few Asian sports can produce such spectacular moments as Sepak Takraw.The sport combines elements of volleyball with the kicking, heading and acrobatic skills associated with football.Two teams compete over a net, with three players making up the regulation. The court is similar in size to a badminton court, with players not allowed to use their hands or arms. The feet, knees, chest and head become the main tools.Each side has a maximum of three touches to control the ball and send it back over the net. The attacking player can then launch spectacular aerial moves – including scissor kicks and bicycle kick-style strikes – to send the ball past the defence.The result is one of the most visually impressive sports on the Asian Games programme.Sepak Takraw has been part of the Asian Games since 1990, but remains relatively unknown to a large part of the Indian sports audience.However, India is gradually building a record in this discipline.The country has so far won two bronze medals at the Asian Games: the men’s team Regu bronze at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and the women’s Regu bronze at Hangzhou 2022.India will field both men’s and women’s teams in Aichi-Nagoya, with the men’s team competing in the Team Regu and Quadrant events.Male contingent includes Arun, Jasvir, Ashish Chundawat, Shyam Singh, Lokhon Singh Elangbam, Bobby Kumar, Ashok Singh Mayengbam, Ram Kumar Sharma, O Amarjit Singha, Malemnganba Singh Sorokhaibam, Henary Singh Wahengbam and Akash Yumnam.Women’s contingent includes players like Leirentonbi Devi Elangbam, Prity Langoljam, Menena Tsukru, Maipak Devi Ayekpam, Priya Devi Elangbam, Shilpa Elangbam, Chaoba Devi Oinam, Seyiekhrieno Tepa and Malemnganbi Yumnam.For India, Sepak Takraw is no longer a completely new experiment. The medals in the last two editions have already provided the foundation.
Sport climbing (Getty Images)
Sport climbing: Speed, power and a race against gravity
Sport Climbing may be the most visually visible of the five for a younger audience, thanks in part to its growing international profile.At the Asian Games, climbers compete on artificial walls, using strength, balance, flexibility, technique and problem-solving skills to navigate routes covered in colorful holds.There are three disciplines: Speed, Boulder and Lead.Speed is exactly what it sounds like. Climbers race side-by-side up the same 15-meter wall, with the fastest time deciding the winner.Boulder is different. Climbers tackle shorter, difficult routes without ropes, relying on technique and problem solving to complete designated challenges.Lead moves the competition higher. Climbers attempt to climb a wall more than 12 meters high, with the result determined by how high they manage to climb in a given time.These three disciplines test different qualities. Speed is all about explosive acceleration and precision. Boulder is about solving a physical puzzle. The lead combines stamina, strength and route reading.Sport climbing made its debut at the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games. India has competed in the sport in the last two editions but is yet to win an Asian Games medal.In Aichi-Nagoya, representatives of India they belong to Deepu Mallesh in men’s speed and Joga Purty in women’s speed.
More than just unknown names
These five sports represent different sides of the Asian Games.Teqball is a young hybrid sport that is trying to establish itself on the global stage. Kurash transfers centuries of Central Asian tradition into a modern competition format. Soft Tennis demonstrates how a familiar sport can develop a different identity through different equipment and rules. Sepak Takraw represents the spectacular athletic culture of Southeast Asia. Sport climbing combines strength, speed and problem solving on a vertical stage.They also highlight why the Asian Games are different from the Olympics.The Continental Games traditionally provide space for sports rooted in specific regions as well as newer disciplines seeking wider international recognition. Aichi-Nagoya’s program includes 43 sports, new additions include teqball, and established Asian disciplines such as Kurash, Sepak Takraw and Soft Tennis continue to appear.For Indian fans, this means that the next few weeks will offer more than the familiar medal races.There will be moments when a bent table, a jacket flap, a soft rubber ball, a mid-air kick or a climber racing up a wall suddenly become the center of attention.