Houston Challenger Cup crowd highlights growth of teqball in the US
The growing passion for teqball in the US was once again on display at the 4th US Teqball Challenger Cup in Houston, Texas, at the state-of-the-art O'Athletik Center on 18 October.
The event was a doubles tournament, which saw rising stars Frankie Diaz and Andres Berriel emerge as champions after a 2-0 (12-11, 12-8) victory over TeqTalks podcast host Brett Lorenzini and partner Michael Timothy Andrews. Diaz and Berriel, who were representing the trailblazing LA Teqers club, managed to withstand the intensity of the match to win the defining points and take home the trophy.
The high-quality event, which was the first Challenger Cup outside of California, was witnessed by a large and vocal socially-distanced crowd, demonstrating the increasingly popularity of the sport in the US. The competing male and female athletes were representing multiple countries and club, with teams travelling from California to challenge Houston’s star teqers.
President of US Teqball Federation, Ajay Nwosu, who is also driving the growth of the sport across the US, said: “Overall, the level in Houston was very good and it keeps getting better and better at every challenger Cup we host. Our next event will be in Las Vegas before a women’s tournament later this year. The Challenger cup in Houston was the first one outside of California, which is an important step in spreading the sport to other parts of the country.
“We have five clubs in Texas, who all entered teams, and we are building strong momentum in the state. Hosting a competition here, where people could watch live, has helped bring the sport to life for new fans. It has also incentivised clubs to buy more tables and benefit from FITEQ’s excellent Club Development Programme. Houston was a big success and will serve as a blueprint for future competitions, and we are excited about what’s to come!”
INFORMATION and RESULTS of the Houston Challenger Cup can be found - HERE
