The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) are capitalising on the growing interest in the sport in China by providing comprehensive training and competition opportunities around the country.

The three-day programme, which was hosted at SIPG Shanghai Port FC’s football centre from July 18 to 20, was attended by 39 students and 10 instructors from 10 schools.

Players from Shanghai Port FC, as well as established teqball players and coaches, were present to help the young athletes learn more about the sport and improve their skills.

The camp was organised by the Shanghai Putuo District Education Office and Bolla Szilárd, the Hungarian Consul General in Shanghai, in partnership with SIPG Shanghai Port FC.

Teqball was invented in Hungary and the event was part of Szilárd's Putuo Yangtze Teqball project which aims to engage young athletes, coaches and sports leaders with the sport and prepare them for national and international competitions.

Two key objectives of the project are to develop a structured framework for the promotion of teqball in China and to produce a clear pathway for athletes to compete in international competitions.

Building on the programme, there are plans to host age-group competitions across Shanghai in September, organise inter-school tournaments, hold referee training programmes, and create a database of all Chinese stakeholders in the sport.

FITEQ also donated teq tables to each participating school to ensure the students were able to play regularly.

Teqball is also due to be included at the 2023 European Games in Kraków after FITEQ came to an agreement with the European Olympic Committee.

It has previously featured in the 2019 African Beach Games in Cape Verde as well as the annual Teqball World Championships since 2017, which has seen a rise in the number of participating athletes each year.

In November 2020, FITEQ was granted full membership of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and has its sights set on Olympic inclusion.