With the official opening ceremony of 2026 Asian Games still a day away, A 24-year-old test engineer from sporting goods brand Decathlon is nearing a historic first medal for India in most unlikely of the sources, Teqball.

Mumbai-born Quimcy Dsouza, who played football at U19 level, reached the semi-final of the women’s singles in Teqball on Friday.

In her first match at the Asian Games, Qumicy produced a upset after she came from a game down to beat world no 7 and home favourite Yuina Sakamoto of Japan 2-1 (10-12, 12-11, 13-11) in 43 minutes in her first match in Group B. In the next fixture, she took down Koemyean Dy of Combodia 2-0 (12-9, 12-7) in 24 minutes.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

Tomorrow, she’ll have two shots at winning a historic medal for India in Teqball. If she defeats Indonesia’s Sumaya, it will confirm a podium finish for the Indian.

Who is Quimcy Dsouza?

Quimcy, who hails from Mumbai, started out as a middle distance runner at the age of 13.

However, her love for the sport of football pushed her to represent Maharashtra at the age group football.

While her career in the sport of football didn’t grow, the love for the game remained which further shaped her career as a Teqball player.

Story continues below this ad

After completing her Sports Management degree, Quimcy joined sports goods retailer Decathlon and started pursuing Teqball after watching Brazilian legend Ronaldinho play it on Instagram videos.

As the sport took it nascent steps in the country, Quimcy became the first Indian woman Teqer to represent India at the international level and also founded the Teqball club of Bengaluru to promote the sport at the grassroots level.

A seven-time national champion, Quimcy is one of the trailblazers of the sport and recorded a ninth place finish at the 2026 Teqball World Championships in Romania earlier this year.