The third Asian Youth Games, hosted in Bahrain, marked a historic milestone as Teqball made its debut on the continental stage. A total of 58 athletes competed for titles in boys’ singles, girls’ singles, boys’ doubles, girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles. Over four days of action, 37 boys and 21 girls from 14 nations showcased their skills and passion for the sport.

 

Clear favourites emerged early in the boys’ singles category, as the already experienced Mao Zhe Ming (CHN) and Nooruldeen Hayder Khamms (IRQ) topped their groups unbeaten. The host nation’s Ahmed Sharif also went undefeated, besting three opponents in Group D. In the quarter-finals, Thailand’s Thammanun Chokkittikul stunned the highest-ranked Chinese player in straight sets, while Nasser Alsager (KUW) overcame Sharif to reach the semis. Khamms advanced past Angelo Paracele (PHI) and later defeated Bin Abdullah Rahmat (MAS) to book his spot in the final. He then dominated Chokkittikul to clinch the gold medal in convincing fashion (12-11, 12-4). The bronze went to Alsager after a tightly contested match against Rahmat (12-8, 12-10).

 

The girls’ singles featured plenty of excitement, with Thailand’s Noppasorn Jaikum (THA) emerging as a standout performer. She breezed through the group stage without dropping a set and posted an impressive +66 point difference. In Group A, Rawan Abdulaziz (BRN) also went unbeaten but was later upset by Al Dulaimi Narjis (IRQ), who advanced from her group in fourth place. China’s Xinyan Jiang ended Narjis’ strong run with a 2-0 victory and went on to claim silver after falling short against the dominant Jaikum in the final. The bronze medal went to 16-year-old Zahrotus Syifa (INA), who delivered an outstanding performance against Narjis.

 

The boys’ doubles event - arguably the most competitive category - featured 11 pairs, including Teqball World Series – Beijing bronze medallist Nooruldeen Hayder Khammas / Abulfadhel Alelayawi (IRQ). The Iraqi pair played one of the best matches of the tournament against Ketsada Mahasaksit (THA) / Katunyi Potong (THA), a scintillating three-set thriller that ultimately saw the Thai duo prevail (7-12, 12-11, 18-20). That encounter, considered an early preview of the final, indeed became reality. The Thai pair breezed through Kamil Nabil (INA) / Nugraha Mochammad (INA) and Zhiang Zhang (CHN) / Junlin Lii, while the Iraqis overcame Abdulrahman Alkandari (KUW) / Abdallah Alwuhaib (KUW) and defeated Amirul Danish (MAS) / Bin Abdullah Rahmat (MAS) in the semifinals. In the highly anticipated final, the Iraqi team delivered a flawless performance to capture the gold medal in straight sets (12-7, 12-4), while Malaysia secured bronze after defeating China.

 

The girls’ doubles featured several close contests, particularly in Group A, where India’s Mageshkumar Rakshana / Sankar Maha narrowly missed qualification after a heartbreaking third set that ended 11-13 in favour of Nicole Tabucol (PHI) / Carino Crystal (PHI). The Filipino duo went on to win the bronze medal in a similar fashion, edging out Bahrain’s Fatima Albanna and Rawan Abdulaziz in a thrilling three-setter (10-12, 12-10, 14-12). The gold went to Thailand’s Phatrawan Simawong and Chiratchyahon Kenkhunthod, who dominated the field without losing a single set throughout the tournament.

 

In the mixed doubles, two teams stood out with unbeaten records in the group stage. Group A was led by the Thai duo of Chiratchyahon Kenkhunthod / Anantachok Ngunkhunthod, while the Iraqi pairing of Aldulaimi / Alelayawi topped Group B without dropping a set. The Chinese duo of Chang Wu / Shaoxuan Luan and Malaysia’s Amirul Danish / Mohamad Putri finished second in their respective groups, setting up the bronze medal clash, while the group winners advanced to the final. Malaysia defeated China to claim bronze, while Thailand earned gold in commanding style, winning the final convincingly.

 

With youthful talent, thrilling matches, and a growing competitive spirit across the continent, Teqball’s debut at the Asian Youth Games proved a resounding success. The performances in Bahrain showed that the future of the sport in Asia is in safe hands - driven by passion, discipline, and a new generation ready to take Teqball to even greater heights.