Do you know that table tennis can be played with a twist using your feet? The Embassy of Hungary is introducing its own version of table tennis called “teqball” during the Euro Village this coming weekend in Capitol Commons Park, Pasig.
The Euro Village offers an exciting and dynamic sample of European Union culture, arts, music, food and gastronomy, products, crafts, languages, sports – all in two days and in one hub. You can find the best novelties from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Romania and Finland. In solidarity with Ukraine in these dire hours, Euro Village will also feature Ukrainian participation.
Admission is open to the public for free from 4pm to 12 midnight.
Teqball is a football-based sport, played on a specially-curved table, which is attracting a new generation of athletes and enthusiasts called “teqers”. Created in Hungary in 2012, teqball is a gender-equitable game, as it can be played between two (singles) or four players (doubles), irrespective of gender.The sport follows a points-based scoring format and can be played on various surfaces such as sand, acrylic or indoors. It allows players a maximum of three touches before returning the ball to the opponent, so if you can juggle a football three times, you will excel at teqball. Teqball was invented in Hungary by three football enthusiasts: former professional player Gábor Borsányi; Hungarian businessman György Gattyán; and computer scientist Viktor Huszár.
From the Embassy of Finland, you will get the chance to learn about Mölkky, a Finnish throwing game with characteristics similar to games like bowling, kubb and pétanque.
It was created by the company Lahden Paikka – formerly known as Tuoterengas – in 1996. It was probably inspired by the Finnish word pölkky, which means block of wood. Mölkky is a game that requires both skill and precision, but also a strategical mindset!
Today, Mölkky tournaments are played all over the world. There is also a Mölkky World Championship (with around 200 teams of 4 to 6 players participating) organized every year.
Next weekend, apart from these exciting sports demonstrations, you will also have the chance to taste delectable food and drinks from the EU. From bread and rye, waffles, sausages, dairy products and beer, to special concerts and sports demonstration, the Euro Village has lovely surprises in one go. For those aspiring to learn a European language but who have not yet had the time to try, the Euro Village cultural and language center will bring French, German, Italian and Spanish lessons in a snap, thanks to the collaboration of Alliance Française de Manille, Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes Manila and the Philippine-Italian Association.
Those who are interested on European music or would like to jam with artists, the Euro Village will have guest performers from Romania, Ukraine and a serenade from the Manila String Machine, who will be rendering European songs and pieces.
Fantastic mimes and buskers will also be available to entertain guests and participants throughout the two-day European festival. To ensure that this EU’s initiative promotes a sustainable lifestyle and reduction of greenhouse emissions, the EU has engaged with Green Space, Scholars of Sustenance Philippines and EcoNest as sustainability partners.
For more details, visit the FB page facebook.com/EuroVillage. A digital passport is also in store for you in your journey through the EuroVillage.
