The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) is celebrating its 5th anniversary, with the global teqball family proudly reflecting on the significant growth of the sport since the federation was established in 2017.
FITEQ has acted as the world governing body for teqball, and later para teqball, since 2017 when the Co-Founders of the sport Gábor Borsányi, Viktor Huszár, and György Gattyán established the federation. In just five years, FITEQ has created a highly professional structure for the sport that is allowing athletes to compete for major prize money in world-class venues, as well as at prestigious multisport events.
Since 2017, FITEQ has increased the global footprint of the sport to the point where it is played in over 150 countries, with 135 National Teqball Federations leading the development of the sport in their country. Out of these 135 federations, which cover all 5 continents, 88 are recognised by their country’s National Olympic Committee and/or National Sport Authority. Following the official launch of para teqball in early 2021, 19 National Paralympic Committees have also recognised the sport.
FITEQ has developed a global event calendar, headlined by the annual Teqball World Championships, which provides athletes with the opportunity to regularly compete on the international stage. There have been four World Championships, with the most recent edition hosted in Gliwice, Poland in December 2021. Beneath the World Championships, FITEQ organises Continental Championships, World Series events, multiple tours, and Challenger Cups, with National Federations responsible for organising domestic leagues and competitions.
Off the court, FITEQ has created a governance structure that protects and enhances the integrity of the sport, safeguards the wellbeing of athletes, promotes clean sport, and enables everyone in the sport to reach their full potential. FITEQ has three key organs which lead the global growth of the sport: the FITEQ General Assembly, the FITEQ Executive Board, and the 15 FITEQ Committees.
Over the past five years, FITEQ has been striving to achieve recognition by the global sporting community. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) have recognised the sport, and FITEQ has been granted full membership of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). FITEQ has a range of other international partners, including the Olympic Channel.
The youth-focused and dynamic nature of teqball has resulted in it being added as a medal sport for the European Games 2023, Sanya Asian Beach Games (postponed to 2023), and the Bolivarian Games in 2024. Meanwhile, it will be a demonstration sport at the Mediterranean Games 2022, African Youth Games 2022, African Games 2023, African Beach Games 2023, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Bangkok and Chonburi (postponed to 2023), and the Asian Youth Games 2025.
Teqball Co-Founders Gábor Borsányi (FITEQ President), Viktor Huszár (FITEQ Chairman), and György Gattyán (FITEQ Vice President) reflected on the milestone for the sport, saying, “We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed to teqball’s global development in the past five years. We have achieved a great deal, but this is only the beginning. We are very ambitious and truly believe in the vision and potential of our sport. To have 135 National Federations, 5,500 elite players, and over 400,000 grassroots players, as well as 8 million social media followers, is a sign that our youth-focused and dynamic sport is on the right path. We can’t wait for the next five years!”
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