Teqball is a competitive sport that combines soccer and ping-pong. The ball is similar to a soccer ball but made out of polyester and latex making it bouncier and lighter. And the table is similar to a ping pong table but curved and much stronger, allowing for a better bounce.
The goal of the game is to hit the ball across the table using any part of your body except your hands.
Balancing a full-time student schedule, a full-time job and training for teqball tournaments might seem impossible for most college students, but not for Mauricio Galvez.
Born in Peru, Galvez, 21, is ranked 247th in the world out of 15,000 players. As a junior at Florida International University, majoring in sports management, he works full-time at a beach resort, trains for over 20 hours a week and travels across the U.S. and internationally to compete in tournaments.
His passion for Teqball started soon after graduating high school.
“My friend asked me if I wanted to try this new sport called teqball,” said Galvez. “So I ended up going. I guess I just fell in love with it.”
His stepdad, Zachary Stang, worked as a commander in the U.S. Navy, which led young Galvez to live in various states in the U.S.
He first immigrated to Virginia at age four, followed by Rhode Island, Arkansas, Florida and Hawaii, returning to Peru at 10 before leaving again to settle in North Miami at age 13, where he still lives. Galvez played seven different sports as a child as his mother signed him up for extracurriculars and after-school activities. By age 13, he already knew how to play baseball, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball and more.
He wasn’t particularlyt interested in sports at first. But then he returned to Peru at age 10 and began to enjoy soccer. At 15, he was offered an opportunity to play soccer professionally. However, he wasn’t ready to leave the U.S. and turned it down.
At 16, he received a second chance to play for Peru’s national team, and was preparing to join when the COVID-19 pandemic postponed all competitions.
In 2021-22, Galvez faced even more setbacks. He underwent surgery for a broken nose and had his appendix removed after suffering from appendicitis, delaying his progress by more than a year.
But he didn’t let those experiences hold him back.
In 2023, Galvez began attending teqball practices in Miami sponsored by the official Teqball Federation.
He quickly noticed he was among the best players and met one of his current coaches and mentors, Juan Pablo Rojas, 29, who is ranked 171st in the world.
“I don’t think I would still play if it wasn’t for people like him,” Rojas said.
Rojas, who helped organize the practices where Galvez competed for the first time, no longer works with the federation but continues to practice in The Underline in Brickell, where sometimes people gather. Galvez and other high-ranked players.
Thanks to Rojas, Galvez has had the chance to compete in various tournaments.
“I saw myself in Mauro in that aspect,” said Rojas. “He was there with the right mentality, not just to mess around. He was there to get better, for himself and his team. I think that’s why it made sense to have him go and compete.”
After competing in several Miami-based tournaments, Galvez improved his ranking and was soon invited by Teqball’s World Series to participate in a tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with all expenses paid.
The experience in Tulsa motivated him.
When Galvez won a $200 prize and gained new experiences, he became even more determined to pursue the sport professionally.
Galvez is now a passionate advocate for expanding teqball, particularly in Peru.
“I’ve been really advocating for it,” said Galvez. “I want to play in a World Cup, and I’d love to represent my country. The only problem is that my country doesn’t want to support a program.”
To represent a country in the World Cup, a player must have participated in at least one tournament held there. Since 2022, Peru has not hosted a single teqball tournament.
After nearly two years of playing teqball, Galvez’s love for the sport continues to grow, and he remains determined to pursue a career as a professional player.
“I truly love the sport and I want to keep promoting and advocating for it as much as I can,” said Galvez.
