Quimcy Dsouza’s Asian Games heartbreak: India’s teqball star falls two points short of bronze

Quimcy Dsouza’s Asian Games campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion as the Indian teqball player lost 0-2 to Japan’s world number seven Yuina Sakamoto in the women’s singles bronze medal match on Saturday.Despite losing in straight sets, the 11-12, 11-12 scoreline hardly reflects how close the Mumbai player came to winning the bronze. With a partisan home crowd backing Sakamoto, Dsouza pushed the Japanese star all the way in both sets, only to miss out by the narrowest of margins.The Indian had a set-ball in the opening game but failed to convert it. She then appeared to be on course to force a decider after taking a 10-8 advantage in the second set.However, Sakamoto fought back and won the match point. Refusing to go down without a fight, Dsouza saved it with a winner to keep her hopes alive. However, her comeback ended moments later when she committed a foul, handing Sakamoto the point needed to seal the match.Women’s teqball singles is a best-of-three format, with the first player to win two sets advancing. The first player to reach 12 points wins the set. A one-point margin is sufficient in the opening two sets, while the decisive third set requires a player to build a two-point lead.For Dsouz, the bronze medal capped a dramatic debut at the Asian Games. She had already stunned Sakamoto in the group stage, beating Japan’s world number seven before finally meeting her again with a medal at stake.Teqball, which made its Asian Games debut at the 20th edition of the continental event, is a non-contact sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis. Players play standard football over a specially curved table resembling a table tennis table and use any part of their body except their hands and arms. Each side may take a maximum of three touches before returning the ball.