The World Teqball Championships 2023 in Bangkok as the first world champs of Teqball outside of Europe, is drawing a record number of players, at 211, and a record number of participating countries, at 61. In addition, this year’s championships are setting a record number of total matches, at 404. A record number of 126 matches will be streamed (including two gala matches), of which twenty-four of these will be broadcast. In addition to Australia and Oceania, every continent is represented.
80 female, 131 male teqers will face each other in five categories: women’s & men’s singles, women’s & men’s & mixed doubles.
WS: 38 players, MS: 55 players, WD 27 doubles, MD 55 doubles, XD 38 doubles
The most represented country is Germany with 8 teqers, while Brazil and Hungary both qualified 7 players.
The field is loaded with previous world, European Champions and African Beach Games winners, so let’s take a look at them.
At least in two different categories we will crown new world champions. Neither the women’s doubles nor the mixed doubles title holders qualified, so the throne is up for grabs. In the former, it is easy to envision the Thai duo of Suphawadi Wongkhamchan and Jutatip Kuntatong to go all the way as they have yet to lost a match in 2023, but the Americans (Carolyn Greco&Kimberly Baker), the Brazilians (Ester Viana Mendes&Vania Moraes da Cruz), the Hungarians (Petra Pechy&Nora Vicsek), the Romanians (Kinga Barabasi&Tunde Miklos) and the Polish team (Alicja Bartnicka&Zaneta Cygora) are also medallist hopefuls.
More: https://www.fiteq.org/news/710
The mixed doubles competition could be the one that brings the tightest race. The Thais (Wongkhamchan&Phakpong Dejaroen) are strong candidates here, too, but it is almost impossible to name a clear-cut favorite. Moraes da Cruz&Leonardo Lindoso de Almeida have won back-to-back silvers in the past two years, we also have the WR leader in Csaba Banyik and his partner, Krisztina Acs from Hungary, the French team of Amelie Julian&Hugo Rabeux, the European Games bronze medallist from Poland, Bartnicka&Marek Pokwap, the 2019 bronze winners Sebians (Maja Umicevic&Nikola Mitro), just to name a few of the probably most stacked field.
More: https://www.fiteq.org/news/712
In the men’s doubles, it would take a significant surprise not to see the three-time champion Serbian duo of Nikola Mitro&Bogdan Marojevic the make the finals and the same can be said about Hungarians Banyik&Balazs Katz, who only lost two matches in the previous 15 months. African Beach Game winners Yassine and Youssef Sahli could be darkhorses, and do not count out Rodrigo Bento Medeiros and Matheus Ferraz, or Phakpong Dejaroen and Boonkoom Tipwong.
More: https://www.fiteq.org/news/713
Women’s singles champion Carolyn Greco has had a bumpy year, so it is her chance now to end it on a high note. It will not be easy though, she will be challenged by European champion Kinga Barabasi, 2nd-placed Amelie Julian, 3rd-placed Nanna Lind Kristensen, multiple WC medal-winner Rafaella Fontes, Hungarian Zsanett Janicsek, and fan-favorite Jutatip Kuntatong.
More: https://www.fiteq.org/news/708
Romanian Apor Gyorgydeak is the player who has the target on his back in the men’s singles. He is the reigning World and European Champion and has not lost a game in recent memory, but four-time champion Adam Blazsovics (Hungary) and four-time WC medallist Adrian Duszak (Poland) will do their best to dethrone the current king.
More: https://www.fiteq.org/news/712
The top two players will go through from the group stage to the knockout Stage. Local television station MONO29 exclusively broadcasts the matches live while FITEQ’s YouTube channel streams record number of matches with 126 games.
Ronaldinho Gaúcho, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, will be in the Bangkok Arena on December 2 and 3 to participate in a gala match as well as a meet and greet for fans.
The championships are being held at two venues:
- From November 29 to December 1 at Hua Mak Arena with group and knockout stage
- December 2 and 3 at Bangkok Arena with semifinals, bronze medal games and finals.
