Lee Jun-seok has been crowned the inaugural champion in men's techball at the Asian Games.
On September 20, at the Higashi Sports Center in Nagoya, Japan, Lee defeated Iraq's Ali Jalil Mezher Alalaywi in the final with a set score of 2-0 (12-11, 12-5). Throughout the tournament, Lee did not lose a single set, establishing himself as a dominant champion.
In the first set, Lee initially fell behind, trailing 0-3 due to a service error. However, he calmly rallied to tie the score at 4-4. Despite Alalaywi's fierce attacks that pushed the score to 4-7, Lee responded with powerful smashes, leveling the score at 9-9 and then taking the lead. In a tense moment at 11-11, Lee showcased his composure, clinching the set 12-11.
The second set began with Lee scoring first, but the match remained tight at 2-2. Lee's focus intensified, and he quickly extended his lead to 9-2. Although Alalaywi managed to score once, Lee maintained his momentum, and despite Alalaywi's late surge, the gap was too wide. Lee secured the victory with a final score of 12-5.
Techball, a sport developed in Hungary, made its debut at this Asian Games. The game is played on a 3-meter curved table using a soccer ball, often referred to as 'foot table tennis.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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