Sepak takraw

Sepak takraw has been a sport at the Asian Games since 1990 with Thailand securing the highest number of gold medals.

The Lao people first brought sepak takraw into Canada when they immigrated as refugees in the 1970s. But the game got exposure outside the Laotian communities and really started taking off when a Saskatchewan teacher, Richard (Rick) Engel, who encountered sepak takraw while living in Asia, included it in Asian Sport, Education & Culture (ASEC) International's School Presentation Program. Sepak takraw was so well received by schools that it became part of ASEC's mandate to help introduce, promote and organise the sport right across the country. In May 1998, after getting many schools playing sepak takraw, and by networking with experienced players, ASEC International organised the first Canadian inter-provincial tournament to include men's, boys and girls teams. By the end of 1998, Engel was sent to Bangkok, Thailand to film at the 14th King's Cup Sepak Takraw World Championships – the footage of which was used to produce a widely used instructional sepak takraw video/DVD, called Sepak Takraw – Just for Kicks.

On 11 December 1998, the Sepak Takraw Association of Canada (STAC)[15] was incorporated to organise and govern the sport nationally. Its office was set up in Regina, SK, where there are experienced players and organisational support, and where it could share the resources and office space of the already established ASEC International, a committee from which has now become Sepak Takraw Saskatchewan Inc.[16] The first annual Canadian Open Sepak Takraw Championships (a national and international tournament event) were held in May 1999 in Regina, SK, and have over the years attracted teams from across Canada, the United States, Japan, Malaysia and China. That same year Canada also attended its first International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) Congress and was accepted as members of ISTAF, which governs the sport globally. In 2000, Rick Engel, Perry Senko and Brydon Blacklaws played for Team Canada and earned a silver medal in the entry level division of the King's Cup World Sepak Takraw Championships in Thailand. Another major milestone was achieved on 3 December 2000, when STAC and the sport of sepak takraw became an official class E Member of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Canada has since contributed much to the development of sepak takraw worldwide, with Engel authoring three instructional sepak takraw books[17] and helping produce five sepak takraw DVDs, while STAC does the publishing. The most notable of these books is Sepak Takraw 101 - The Complete Coaching/Instructional Manual for Sepak Takraw (Kick Volleyball), the third edition of which has also been translated and published in the Indonesian language and released in Indonesia through a government education project. Engel has found himself to be in demand, introducing the sport and conducting sepak takraw skills clinics in schools and sessions at physical education teachers' conferences all over Canada, the US and Europe.

A Japanese team played at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. While as of 2010 there are no professional teams in Japan, university level teams had been established at Asia University, Chiba University, Keio University, and Waseda University.[18]

The earliest accounts of organized takraw in the United States involve a group of students from Northrop University (Greg St. Pierre, Thomas Gong, Joel "big bird" Nelson, and Mark Kimitsuka) in 1986 in Inglewood, California, learning about and playing the sport in Los Angeles. In the early 80s, Southeast Asians held soccer tournaments that had takraw events in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and California, especially within the Lao, Hmong and Thai communities.[19] Malaysian students attending the university often enjoyed playing the sport on a court on top of the dormitory cafeteria. They taught a handful of curious American students how to play, which in turn inspired Malaysia Airlines to sponsor a US team from the university to attend the National Tournament in Kuala Lumpur in November 1987. The Northrop team played in a bracket of international new teams with Korea, Sri Lanka, and Australia. The US team beat Sri Lanka and Australia to bring home the gold.[20]

Los Angeles's Asian community and Northrop's team had already established a takraw community in and around L.A. Sonderegger moved to Los Angeles, founded the United States Takraw Association, and started a business that sold plastic takraw balls. In 1989, he was sent an invitation from the International Sepak Takraw Federation, and Sonderegger along with a few of the Northrop group travelled to represent the United States in the World Championships.

The team was beaten badly but the takraw world was enchanted with the fact that non-Asian teams had competed at the World Championships.[21]

Takraw is the Thai word for the hand-woven rattan ball originally used in the game. Therefore, the game is essentially "kick ball".[22] The concept of Footvolley originates from Thai Takraw pronounced (Tha-Graw) Also, sometimes misnamed by foreigners as "Shaolin Soccer" however it is an ancient game mainly enjoyed between Thai and Laos.

Sepak takraw court diagram

The sepak takraw sport is played on a similar to badminton double sized court.[23]

Area of 13.4 by 6.1 metres (44 ft × 20 ft) free from all obstacles up to the height of 8 metres (26 ft) measured from the floor surface (sand and grass court not advisable). The width of the lines bounding the court should not be more than 4 centimetres (1.6 in) measured and drawn inwards from the edge of the court measurements. All the boundary lines should be drawn at least 3.0 metres (9.8 ft) away from all obstacles. The centre line of 2 cm (0.79 in) should be drawn equally dividing the right and left court.

At the corner of each at the center line, the quarter circle shall be drawn from the sideline to the center line with a radius of 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) measured and drawn outwards from the edge of the 0.9 m radius.

The service circle of 0.3 m radius shall be drawn on the left and on the right court, the center of which is 2.45 m from the back line of the court and 3.05 m from the sidelines, the 0.04 m line shall be measured and drawn outward from the edge of the 0.3 m radius.[24]

The net shall be made of fine ordinary cord or nylon with 6 cm to 8 cm mesh. Similar to a volleyball net.[23]

The net shall be 0.7 m in width and not shorter than 6.10 m in length and taped at 0.05 m from tape double at the top and sideline, called boundary tape.

The net shall be edged with 0.05 m tape double at the top and the bottom of the net supported by a fine ordinary cord or nylon cord that runs through the tape and strain over and flush with the top of the posts. The top of the net shall be 1.52 m (1.42 m for women) in height from the center and 1.55 m (1.45 m for women) at the posts.[24]

A sepak takraw ball made out of rattan

The sepak takraw ball shall be spherical, made of synthetic fibre or one woven layer.

Sepak takraw balls without synthetic rubber covering must have 12 holes and 20 intersections, must have a circumference measuring not less from 42 to 44 cm (16.5–17.3 in) for men and from 43 to 45 cm (16.9–17.7 in) for women, and must have a weight that ranges from 170 to 180 g (6.0–6.3 oz) for men and from 150 to 160 g (5.3–5.6 oz) for women.

The ball can be in plain single colour, multi-colour, and luminous colours, but not in any colour that will impair the performance of the players.

The sepak takraw ball can also be constructed of synthetic rubber or soft durable material for covering the ball, for the purpose of softening the impact of the ball on the player's body. The type of material and method used for constructing the ball or for covering the ball with rubber or soft durable covering must be approved by ISTAF before it can be used for any competition.

All world, international, and regional competitions sanctioned by International Sepak Takraw Federation, including but not limited to, the Olympic Games, World Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and SEA Games, must be played with ISTAF approved sepak takraw balls.[24]

A match is played by two teams called 'regu', each consisting of three players. On some occasions, it can be played by only two players (doubles) or four players (quadrant) per team.

One of the players shall be at the back; he/she is called a "Tekong" or also known as the "Server". The other two players shall be in front, one on the left and the other on the right. The player on the left is called a "feeder/setter/tosser" and the player on the right is called a "attacker/striker/killer".[24]

The side that must serve first shall start the first set. The side that wins the first set shall have the options of "Choosing Service".

The throw must be executed as soon as the referee calls the score. If either of the "Inside" players throws the ball before the referee calls the score, it must be re-thrown and a warning will be given to the thrower.

During the service, as soon as the Tekong kicks the ball, all the players are allowed to move about freely in their respective courts.

The service is valid if the ball passes over the net, whether it touches the net or not, and inside the boundary of the two net tapes and boundary lines of the opponent's court.[24]

• The "Inside" player who is making service throws, plays with the(throwing up the ball, bumping, giving to other "Inside" player etc.) after the call of score has been made by the referee.
• The "Inside" player lifts his feet or steps on the line or crosses over or touches the net while throwing the ball.
• The Tekong jumps off the ground to execute the service.
• The Tekong does not kick the ball on the service throw.
• The ball touches his own player before crossing over the opponent court.
• The ball goes over the net but falls outside the court.
• The ball does not cross to the opponent side.
• A player uses his hand or hands, or any other part of his arms to facilitate the execution of a kick even if the hand or arm does not directly touch the ball, but it touches other objects or surfaces instead when doing so.[24]

• Creating distracting manner or noise or shouting at his opponent.

• Any player who touches the ball on the opponent side.
• Any part of player's body crosses over into opponent's court whether above or under the net except during the follow-through of the ball.
• Playing the ball more than 3 times in succession.
• The ball touches the arm
• Stopping or holding the ball under the arm, between the legs or body.
• Any part of the body or player's outfits e.g. shoes, jersey, head band etc., touches the net or the post or the referee's chairs or falls into the opponent's side.
• The ball touches the ceiling, roof or the wall (any objects).[24]

An official doubles or regu match is won by best of three sets (win 2 out of 3 sets), with each set being played up to 21 points.

A team event or group match is effectively three regu matches played back to back, using different players for each regu. The winner is determined by best of three regus (win 2 out of 3 regus), where a winner of each individual regu is determined by best of 3 sets, played up to 21 points per set.

In the last 3rd set the change of sides takes place when one team reaches 11 points.

Point: when either serving side or receiving side commits a fault, a point is awarded to the opponent side.[24]