With 48 athletes representing 9 countries, the Challenger Teqball League – Funchal was the seventh event of this tournament in 2025, and the favourites did not let down the followers.

The event started a week ago as the Ukrainian Teqball team reunited in Madeira for its first training camp since the war began, thanks to the local organisers and the Portuguese Teqball Federation. The athletes and coaches did a great job, and we will share more about the results soon.

Kinga Barabasi (ROU)/Amelie Julian (FRA) stood out from the field by their ranking in women's doubles, and they never let any opponent reach more than seven points in the sets. Even in the final against Mira Dahlmann (DEN) and Zsofia Dezsenyi (HUN), the European medallists had the right rhythm from the very first rally and never looked back. The bronze medal went to the Ukrainian twosome, Daria Zelenska/Iryna Kushnir, and the duo, including the 2021 'Queen of Teqball' Anna Izsak (HUN) and her partner Jessica Dourado (POR), who reached a new height in her career by finishing third. 

In mixed doubles, the Romanian world bronze medallist pair from Ho Chi Minh City, Apor Gyorgydeak and Barabasi, had a clear goal: to win their sixth event in 2025. While their journey to the final was confidently fought, the world silver medallist Marek Pokwap and Julian almost dropped out in the semifinals against Izsak/Arpad Sipos. At the end, although the Polish-French coop made it in two sets, they only won by 1 & 2 points. With that, Izsak/Sipos became third, just like Magnus Aagaard Madsen (DEN)/Dezsenyi. Three clubmates faced each other in the most anticipated final, and the athletes did not let down the expectations. They were head-to-head and in a three-setter roller-coaster, Barabasi/Gyorgydeak triumphed once again after Pecs, Presov, Grindsted and Ibiza of the CTL.

One thing seemed to be sure in men's doubles before everyone flew into Madeira: Gyorgydeak/Pokwap will be the opponents in the final. In the biggest field of the Challenger Teqball League - Funchal, the duo, which lost only once this year, gave no chance to the challengers. The biggest question was: who will have the best days among the rest of the duos, as they are considered on the same level. And while Gyorgydeak/Pokwap beat Gergo Varga/Zsombor Bene (HUN), the other leg brought one of the closest matchups of the whole weekend. Aagaard Madsen/Mathias Landen Jeppesen (DEN) took the first set against Oleh Usychenko/Dmytro Shevchuk, then dropped the second before they secured the spot in the final in the third period. This season's most decorated MD team were just too strong, just too quick and took the victory in Funchal.

Shortly after the Challenger Teqball League - Funchal ended, 2025's first Teqball Tour will be hosted by Budapest, Hungary, where the sport was born. The tournament kicks off on the 31st of July and concludes on the 2nd of August.