At 13, Quimcy Dsouza was a middle distance runner before taking up football; 11 years later, Teqball, inspired by Ronaldinho, took home one victory in the history of the Asian Games

Indian Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza (Image: @quimcyyy/Instagram) India’s Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza suffered a 1-2 defeat to Indonesia’s Ima Sumaya in the 2026 Asian Games Teqball women’s singles semi-final on Saturday. However, her medal hopes remain alive, with the 24-year-old competing for bronze against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto on Sunday.A win would make Quimcy the first Indian to win a teqball medal at the Asian Games, where the sport is making its debut at the Aichi-Nagoya edition. The Indian’s run to the last four was already groundbreaking and marked an important chapter in her rise as one of the leading teqball players in the country.

From middle distance running to soccer and teqball

Hailing from Mumbai, Quimcy started her sporting journey as a middle distance runner at the age of 13, as reported by The Indian Express. Her passion for football soon took over and she went on to represent Maharashtra in age group football.Although her soccer career did not develop as she had hoped, her love for the game remained. After graduating with a degree in sports management, she joined sporting goods retailer Decathlon and discovered Teqball after watching Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho play the sport in Instagram videos.Quimcy devoted herself to the sport and gradually established herself as a leading figure in the Indian teqball community.

Seven-time national champion and international pioneer

Quimcy became the first Indian Teqer to represent the country at the international level. She also founded the Teqball Club of Bengaluru to help promote the sport at the local level.The seven-time national champion has become one of the pioneers of Indian teqball. Earlier in 2026, she finished ninth at the teqball world championships in Romania, further strengthening her reputation on the international stage. Her performances at the Asian Games have now given her the opportunity to add a historic medal to her tally.

Quimcy Dsouza Asian Games 2026 campaign

Quimcy made an impressive start to her Asian Games debut as she dominated Group A with two wins to secure direct qualification to the women’s singles semi-finals.She opened her campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over top seed Yuina Sakamoto of Japan. After losing the first set 10-12, Quimcy fought back to win the second 12-11 before securing the deciding score 13-11. She then defeated Cambodia’s Koemyean DY 12-9, 12-7 in straight sets to finish top of her group and secure a place in the last four.

Quimcy falls in the semi-finals against Indonesia

Quimcy started her semifinal against Indonesia’s Ima Sumaya on a strong note, winning the opening set 12-7. Sumaya responded in the second, recovering from an early deficit to make it 12-9 and force a decider.The Indian took a 3-0 lead in the third set and made it 4-1. However, Sumaya came back to take control of the decision and win 12-7 to book her place in the final. The defeat ended Quimcy’s gold medal hopes, but he will have another opportunity to finish his debut Asian Games campaign on the podium.

The bronze medal match offers a chance to make history

Quimcy will face Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto in Sunday’s bronze medal match. The Indian beat Sakamoto in the group stage but will need to repeat that performance to secure a place on the podium.A win would earn India its first ever Asian Games teqball medal. Quimcy also competed in mixed doubles alongside Mohamed Anas Imran Beg. The Indian pair defeated Jhoana Abulencio and Prince Agustin of the Philippines in their opening Group A match.Invented in Hungary, Teqball combines elements of soccer and table tennis and is played on a curved table. The sport is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with five medal events: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.