Soccer Meets Ping Pong on Funky Town's New Teqball Tables

Move over, pickleball. There’s a new game in town. One that’s going for the gold.

Teqball, which has been called a quirky offshoot of soccer, is a new ball sport played on a curved table. Pronounced “tek-ball,” it’s something like a cross between soccer and ping pong. Now Fort Worth has a couple of places where you can play it. The city has set up Teq tables for public use at Trinity Park and Marine Park.

The tables come from Teqball USA, which plans to donate hundreds of tables to communities across the country.

Dallas has Teqers, too

The city was host to the Dallas Challenger Cup last year, which had events for both men and women.

The first-ever Dallas Challenger Cup was held in August 2021. [US National Teqball Federation]

The sport involves passing a size 5 association soccer ball back and forth over a solid tabletop net, using any part of your body except your hands. The sport can be played between two players—or Teqers—as a singles game, or between four players as a doubles game.

So far, Teqball has about 60 registered clubs, and the next stops will be Miami, New York, and Dallas, reported Sports Travel magazine in April.

Teqball: A brand and a sport

Teqball, which is both a brand and a sport, is growing fast.

It got its first USA programming deal with ESPN in January and has tie-ins with some 18 MLS and eight NWSL clubs. It’s become the fastest-growing global soccer-based sport in about a decade, the company says.

And according to Teqball’s CEO, it has mostly spread across the U.S. through “gorilla marketing.”

Making the curve

Teqball was started in Hungary in 2012 by former professional player Gábor Borsányi, businessman György Gattyán, and computer scientist Viktor Huszár. The company calls the curved-table sport experience unique, with elements of soccer, tennis, and table tennis.

It’s a “truly gender-equitable” game that can be played indoors or out, and it’s a training favorite for the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.

Olympic aspirations

Ajay Nwosu

In 2020, the United States National Teqball Federation was formed, naming Teqball USA CEO Ajay Nwosu as the first president of the association. Now the LA-based CEO is trying to get the sport into the 2028 Olympics.

Since its U.S. beginnings in LA, the sport sparked interest across the country.

“The hardest part for us is getting people to try it,” Nwosu told Sports Travel. But, he says, once they try it and have a few successful moments, they become addicted.

Nwosu, who is an ex-player and entrepreneur noticed the sport in 2018, and was “immediately encapsulated.”

Rules of the game

According to Boardroom TV, the sport has also found fans from Justin Bieber to David Beckham.

“The magic of Teqball is in the table and the rules,” Nwosu told Boardroom earlier this year.

Teqball in North Texas

“On a global level, Teqball’s ethos, vision, and mission statement has always been to use the sport as a vehicle to bridge the gap between communities and this permanent Teqball installation in Fort Worth is no different,” Teqball USA CEO Nwosu told Dallas Innovates.

“It’s my vision that the table will be seen as a symbol of opportunity, relationship building, and inspiration to the greater community of Fort Worth and beyond.”

Nwosu credits Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Deputy Chief of Staff Carlo Capua, and District 2 council member Carlos Flores for helping bring Teqball to the city.

The locations for the new Teqball tables in Fort Worth are:

Trinity Park, 2259-2289 River Drive.
Marine Park, 303 N.W. 20th St.

In Dallas, you can follow @teqtruckmidwest on Instagram for local enthusiasts. Check it out:

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A post shared by Teq Truck Midwest (@teqtruckmidwest)

More options

To contact the U.S. National Teqball Federation, go here. To keep up with world events within the Teqball sphere, check out Fiteq.

And for those so inclined, you can consider buying your own table. Three varieties are currently offered from $1,849 to $3,499.