Decoding Sepak Takraw

Intern- Adithya Bharwani

Let us start with getting to know what exactly the sport is about. Sepak Takraw or Kick Volleyball as some call it, is a sport popular in the southeast of Asia. It is quite different to volleyball as it does not involve a ball rather a rattan ball and the players can only touch the ball with their feet, chest, head and knees.

Sepak is a word that means “Kick” and Takraw is a word that is precisely meant “Woven ball”. Modern Day Sepak Takraw was first started in Thailand in the early 1740’s, and it has caught on since then. Now most countries in the world come forward and play this game. Games are held in the form of Super Series by the ISTF namely the International Sepak Takraw Federation, the ISTF World Cup and the King’s Cup World Championships. Not only this, but the Sepak Takraw is a regular sport event in the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games.

A game of Sepak Takraw is played on a court that is similar to a badminton court but double in size. It is basically played by 3 players in a team. Points are scored in similar fashion to that of volleyball. The game is completed within 3 sets out of which the team that wins 2 sets is declared the winner of that match. Sepak Takraw has many rules and the players have various categories for which they can be fouled at any moment of the match. Some of them are during the service of a team, some during the receiving end of the serve and some faults that are open to both teams during the match.

Sepak Takraw is basically a combination of a couple of sports like volleyball, badminton and football. It is useful in not only exercising the physical activities of a player, but also the mental ability of each and every team member. It includes the ability of the players to learn martial arts, gymnastics. Maybe that is why it is declared to be a sport that is unlike all others. The specialty of this sport is that, wherever it has a root, it has always enjoyed that royal cult status. Although we say that Southeast Asia is the birthplace of this sport, this sport has been given importance in most nations around the world. Sepak Takraw is a sport one wouldn’t let go off, once he/she learns it. I would suggest that all of us have decoded the sport and will give it a try sooner or later.