It was an exciting time from September 28 to 29, 2022. I took part in the European Teqball Tour in Budapest. As a member of the Neusiedl multisport club laketownRIDERS (Teqball section), I played in a Fiteq Teqball tournament, specifically in the men's singles competition.
What made it special? It was the first time an Austrian teqball player had competed in an international tournament. And not just any tournament. This tournament was part of the European Teqball Series, serving as a qualifier for the 2023 European Games in Krakow, and world ranking points were even awarded.
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The day before the tournament began, I was at the training center in Budapest with my two coaches, Toni Kiss and Roland Hamm, where I was able to train for two hours with the world's best.
That's also where we made our first international contacts, with the aim of inviting them to future tournaments or learning from them during training sessions.
My first Teqball match on the tour
My first match was a real challenge. You could practically feel the tension as I faced off against 17-year-old Romanian Mark Gereb-Szoke. Although I had several set points, I lost the first set by a narrow margin, 11–12. In the second set, we were evenly matched, but once again I found myself trailing 7–9. I didn’t let that get to me, though. Thanks to a smart timeout called by my coach, Toni Kiss, I turned the match around and evened the score by winning the set 12–10. In the deciding set, I kept my cool and won convincingly, 12–5. It was a historic victory, not only for me but also for my club and the Austrian Teqball Association.
So, I’ve already made my mark in the history books of Teqball at my very first tournament. It was Austria’s first international victory and I became the first Austrian to earn World Cup points.
My Second Teqball Match
In my second and final group match, I faced 24-year-old Cameroonian Gregory Dylan TCHAMI DJOMAHA, who was ranked 76th in the world at the time.
As expected, as a newcomer, I had to learn the hard way at first and lost the first set 1–12. But I didn’t let that discourage me. With a score of 8–12 in the second set, I showed that I have real potential as a young Teqball talent. It’s also important to note that I’ve been playing soccer since 2013, which is where I learned a large part of my technique and ball control. In the end, I finished second in my group with 3 points, a 2–3 set record, and a point differential of 44–51 in this tournament featuring world-class players. But I walked away with my head held high, proud of what I’d accomplished.
Conclusion – European Teqball Tour Budapest 2022
As a 14-year-old, I gained valuable experience during my first appearance at the European Teqball Tour in Budapest and made Austrian teqball history. Despite initial setbacks, I showed a strong will to win and fought my way to a historic victory. This was an honor not only for me, but also for my club and the Austrian Teqball Federation.
The intensive training with my coaches and the opportunity to train with the world’s best players contributed significantly to my success. Despite the loss in the second match, I’m not discouraged. This tournament marked the beginning of my international athletic career and has boosted my confidence for future competitions.
You can read about how my second tour stop went here: European Teqball Tour Madrid 2023
