The rapid growth of teqball throughout Asia was on display again this month, this time in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where a major national competition took place on 15-16 May.

The event, which was organised by the Kyrgyzstan Teqball Federation, was an exciting opportunity for the country’s athletes and referees to test their skills in a competitive environment. There were tournaments in men’s doubles and mixed doubles, with athletes representing regional clubs.

The Bishteqers, based in the country’s capital of Bishkek, shone in both tournaments, with Erkinbekov Aitegin and Maksatbek Aitegin winning the men’s doubles, and Aidana Otorbaeva and Aitegin Maksatbek winning the mixed doubles event. Other regional clubs such as SDG, Eternity, and newly-formed club BEMS also performed well and left feeling energised and motivated to aim for gold at the next tournament.

President of the Kyrgyzstan Teqball Federation, Cholponbek Jumashukurov, expressed his excitement for the future of the sport in Kyrgyzstan, saying: "I am delighted to have seen so many new athletes and referees take part in today’s teqball event. The wide representation across age, gender, and experience level is a good sign for the future. Our regional clubs will continue to be given opportunities for growth, including competing at international events. We can really feel momentum building here in Kyrgyzstan and are incredibly excited to see the development of everybody that was present today, as well as future participants who will have been inspired by today’s champions.”

Project Manager at the Kyrgyzstan Teqball Federation, Zhanybek Akhmatov, also hopes the event will help to inspire the next generation of teqers in Kyrgyzstan: “We are very happy with the level of enthusiasm, passion, and motivation we saw from all athletes and referees in Bishkek. We hope that through hosting more events we will continue to engage with the local youth and continue developing teqball in Kyrgyzstan”