Japanese Athletes at Asian Games Hope to Raise Profile of Sports Making Debut

Japanese athletes competing in the upcoming Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 hope to boost the popularity of two sports making their debut at the event - padel and teqball. Both sports blend elements from more familiar sports, with padel being a mix of tennis and squash, and teqball combining soccer and table tennis. The Olympic Council of Asia requested the addition of these two sports to the official lineup this year.

Kazuki Tomita, a 31-year-old athlete from Saitama Prefecture, will represent Japan in padel. He moved to Spain, where padel is hugely popular, seven years ago to pursue better training opportunities. Tomita has been competing on the international padel circuit since, including visiting a dedicated padel court in Tokyo ahead of the Asian Games to maintain his form.

In padel, players hit a ball back and forth across a net using stringless rackets, with balls that bounce off the walls still being alive and returnable. Tomita moved to Spain to train extensively and climb the national rankings, eventually becoming No. 1 in Japan.

Akinori Wase, a 41-year-old teqball player and president of the Japan Teqball Federation, will compete in the sport alongside teammate Yuina Sakamoto. Teqball involves hitting a conventional soccer ball back and forth across a curved table, using any part of the body except hands or arms, with the ball required to be returned within three touches.

Wase, who describes the sport as "spectacular displays of soccer skill," advanced to the final of the mixed doubles after winning his opening match. He is confident of securing at least a silver medal after advancing to the final.