At the 2026 Asian Beach Games in Sanya, Hainan province, the sport that has been turning the most heads is the tournament's newest addition: beach teqball.

For those unfamiliar, imagine the scene: Thailand's Areeya Homdee sends a soccer ball curling through the air toward her teammate Jutatip Kuntatong. In a flash, Kuntatong raises her leg high above her shoulder and delivers a roundhouse kick. But the ball doesn't head for a goal. Instead, it spins over a clear plastic divider and lands on the other side of an arced ping-pong table.

This is teqball, a Hungarian-born hybrid of soccer and table tennis that has been around for more than a decade, but is making its highly anticipated Asian Beach Games debut in Sanya, and is already one of the event's most popular attractions.

It's played on a cambered table measuring three meters long, 1.7 meters wide and 76 centimeters high, split by a rigid "net". Players use a slightly under-inflated ball and, just like in soccer, can touch it with any part of their body except their hands and arms.

The result is a dizzying display of chest traps and acrobatic kicks.

For Thailand, teqball feels surprisingly familiar. "Teqball is a new sport, but our athletes have a foundation because it is similar to a sport popular in Thailand — sepak takraw," said Chalitrat Chandrubeksa, chef de mission of Thailand at the Asian Beach Games and deputy secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Chandrubeksa said: "That's why Thai athletes are very familiar with the way of playing this game, and we became strong players."

He added that the sport's inclusion in such a multi-discipline event signals its rising popularity.

"In Europe they play a lot of teqball. In Asia, most countries are taking the opportunity to bring it in. I think we Asians have a better foundation for this game than other parts of the world."

Thailand has arrived in Sanya with 275 athletes — the largest delegation at the Games.

"We were expecting about 15 gold medals before we came. Four days have passed, we only have three, but in the coming days, we are looking forward to winning more," Chandrubeksa said with a smile.

For him, Sanya feels like home.

"This is my first time to Hainan, but my great-grandfather was born in Hainan. Sanya is a lot like Thailand's island of Pattaya, it is very relaxing — and the local food is also very similar to Thai food."

He also noted the strong Thailand-China cooperation in sports."China has done a good job arranging the Asian Beach Games. We are very happy to cooperate in any kind of sport or any sector of sports development."

Local fans are equally enchanted with the new addition to the Games' program.

Xiao Huijun, a university student volunteering as a sports services assistant, said: "Teqball is so interesting! After watching it, I really want to try it myself — combining soccer and table tennis is great fun, though probably difficult because when the ball would come to me, I don't think I could help but want to use my hands."

She said her volunteer experience has been "fantastic".

"This event feels more like a party. I've had so much fun with athletes from different countries, and I've learned to say hello in several languages to welcome more foreigners to Hainan."