Ronaldinho Unveils Teqball Mobile App -- Federation Focus

(ATR) The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) launches a mobile app in an effort to redefine how people engage in the sport.

SQILLER was revealed by Teqball ambassador Ronaldinho and FITEQ Vice-President Viktor Huszar in front of more than 15,000 people at the Web Summit in Lisbon on Tuesday.

The app allows players from all over the world to hone their teqball skills wherever they are by using just a smart device and a football.

Benchmarks are set by Teqball Ambassadors, such as Brazilian footballing legends Ronaldinho and Cafu, who are filmed performing a variety of skills at different difficulty levels. Players then have to record themselves accurately recreating these skills.

FITEQ says that SQILLER uses pioneering artificial intelligence, computer vision and machine learning technologies to analyse the player’s movement and ball trajectory to score how closely it matches the Teqball Ambassador’s. As players work their way through the stages, the skills become more difficult and more rewarding. The Battle feature also allows players from around the world to go head to head against one another.

"SQILLER uses modern technologies in a way that has never been done before. It is an app which challenges what we mean by esports and will become the esport discipline of teqball," FITEQ Vice-President Huszar said.

"It allows players to develop real skills which they can put to use on the teqball table. No matter where you are, all you need is a ball and a smart phone and you can connect to the global Teqball family."

FITEQ says SQILLER is available on iOS (iPhone 8 and higher) and will be coming to the App Store soon.

Record Set Ahead of World Para Athletics Championships

Audiences in a record number of countries will be able to watch the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships when the event begins on Thursday.

A total of 24 broadcasters from all continents will provide coverage of Dubai 2019 to 88 countries, one more than in London 2017.

"Dubai 2019 is the biggest single Para sport event before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and to achieve such a record coverage shows the continuing growth in interest for Para sports worldwide," Alexis Schaefer, the IPC’s Commercial, Broadcasting and Partnerships Director, said in a statement.

"We are not only reaching new territories but also seeing many countries increasing their coverage, as in Australia where Seven Network will form the most comprehensive broadcast and stream of a Para sport event outside the Paralympics."

More than 1,400 athletes from 120 countries are expected to compete in the event, which runs through November 15.

IFs Rewarded for Climate Efforts

Ten International Sports Federations are rewarded as part of the IOC-Dow initiative aimed at boosting the Olympic Movement’s efforts to help accelerate climate action.

The following IFs were recognized for taking concrete action to reduce their greenhouse emissions: The International Ski Federation (FIS), the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), World Rowing (FISA), the International Golf Federation (IGF), the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), World Rugby (WR), World Sailing (WS) and World Taekwondo (WT), as well as recognized IFs the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) and the International Sambo Federation (FIAS).

Carbon reduction measures undertaken by the rewarded IFs include initiatives in their operations and at events that reduce waste and assess and reduce the footprint of materials, food and equipment across their entire life cycle.

As part of the reward, carbon offsets will be offered to the IFs to compensate for their unavoidable 2019 emissions.

The announcement came last week at the Sustainability Session organized by the IOC during the annual IF Forum.

Almost 70 IFs attended the Sustainability Session, which focused on topics such as climate change, plastic pollution and sustainable events.

"We are delighted to see so many International Sports Federations undertake concrete efforts to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,"said HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission.

"This joint IOC-Dow initiative will help accelerate these efforts, increase their impact and encourage other sports organisations to also take action."

The IOC-Dow initiative will continue into 2020, during which time more IFs, as well as National Olympic Committees, will be encouraged to join.

Table Tennis Test Event in Tokyo

The Tokyo 2020 test event for table tennis began on Wednesday.

The ZEN-NOH 2019 ITTF Team World Cup runs through Sunday at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, which will be the venue for the next Summer Games.

The event this week features 12 of the strongest national associations in each of the men’s and women’s competitions.

China are the prohibitive favorites to retain their titles after seven straight gold medals in the men’s team event and eight for the women’s team.

The 2019 Team World Cup is featuring several teams who have already qualified for Tokyo 2020.

Brazil, China, Germany, Japan and the United States in the men’s competition and Brazil, China, Egypt, Japan and the United States in the women’s competition have the opportunity to get used to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium ahead of a return in a little over eight months from now.

Both the men's and women's competitions in Tokyo will feature 16 teams.

IMMAF World Championships Begin Monday

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s 2019 Senior and Junior World Championship tournaments begin Monday in Bahrain.

Hosted by the Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation, under the auspices of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the event returns to Khalifa Sport City in Manama from November 11-16. The tournament draw and opening ceremony is November 10.

The World Championships features 332 Seniors and 120 Juniors, with a total of 452 athletes competing from 51 countries.

The action will be streamed live internationally at IMMAF.TV. Audience entry into the arena is free.

Homepage photo: FITEQ

Written by Gerard Farek

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