Teqball Pune

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In his first official day with Paris Saint-Germain in August, Lionel Messi's training regimen was captured by cameras in a scene that went viral. Facing a curved table more akin to Ping-Pong than soccer and using a trademark mastery of head and foot strikes, the star forward repeatedly sent the ball flying over the table's small plexiglass divider past a teammate on the other side.

It wasn't the first viral moment for the table or Teqball, the little-known sport it anchors. There's a 2017 video of Messi playing with his son on his own custom table. David Beckham has one too. So does Neymar Jr. Even Justin Bieber has been shot attempting his own display of soccer showboating.

Now, a decade after it's creation in Hungary, Teqball may finally be coming into its own. The Teqball Group and FITEQ, the sport's governing body, announced today that it has signed an $850,000 deal with ESPN to stream 12 live U.S. events online this year and air six tape-delayed highlight shows on ESPN2 and ESPNU, while setting it's sights on an even bigger win: a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

#2028