Sepak Takraw combines football volleyball and KungFu

Buy a Sepak Takraw Ball JugglePro by clicking here: Takraw Ball JugglePro

Asia, the most populated continent on earth, is the birthplace and home of many games and sports. The fame of cuju now extends beyond the borders of the continent's countries since it was recognized by FIFA as an ancestor of football. In the wake of cuju, we find many other sports such as dacau, jianzi and also Takraw. It is one of the most practiced sports on the continent. It is also considered a national sport in some countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. What are the origins of Sepak Takraw and how is it practiced? Let's discover one of the most exciting sports practiced in Bangkok, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta... and which is gradually being imported to France and Europe.

History of Sepak Takraw

The name of this sport is a combination of two words. Sepak is a Malay-Indonesian word meaning "to kick" and takraw is a Thai word meaning "ball". In Laos, it is better known as Kataw, in Myanmar it is called Chinlone. The deep origins of this sport go back centuries. As today, it was already a popular sport practiced by the inhabitants of many villages in Southeast Asia. Even if the rules have evolved somewhat, it originally consisted of a group of inhabitants, gathered around a circle, playing a ball while taking care to keep it in the air using all parts of the body (thighs, feet, head, chest, etc.) except the hands and arms. It then spread to the royal courts, particularly in the royal court of Malacca where it was highly appreciated by the nobility. From the 19th century onwards, the rules evolved and a net was introduced to separate the two teams' camps.

It took on international significance when, in 1965, "takrawbates", a word used to designate sports enthusiasts from several Asian countries, came together to create a federation, SATAF.

In 1996, its reputation and institutionalization expanded worldwide with the creation of a world federation, ISTAF, which brought together countries from Asia, Europe, America and Africa.

Takraw ball and field

Basically, Takraw is a combination of several sports including football, volleyball and Kung Fu. The rattan that the Takraw ball was made of has been replaced with plastic.

It is a ball about fifteen centimeters in diameter and weighing between three hundred and four hundred grams.

The field where the matches are played is thirteen metres forty long, six metres ten wide and separated lengthwise by a net one metre fifty-five high.

In competition, teams are made up of three players who throw the ball back and forth, avoiding it touching the ground.

Rules of Sepak Takraw

In a game, a team wins a point when it lands the ball within the boundaries of the opponent's court. It loses a point when the ball goes beyond the boundaries of the court. To win a game, two sets must be won (a set is won when the team reaches twenty-one points or twenty-two in the event of a 20-20 tie for both teams). The players of a team, who can make three passes between them, are allowed to play the ball with all parts of the body except the arms and hands.

An acrobatic and spectacular sport

The body parts most used to play the ball are the lower limbs and the head. We therefore witness many beautiful actions. Its practice requires technique. The gestures are reminiscent of martial arts movements.

In takraw, a team is designated by the Malay word "regu". Two players called to play in the playing area are called apit kiri and a apit kanan . The third player is in charge of serving and is called tekong.

Since the creation of the French Sepak Takraw Federation, many clubs have emerged in Paris, Essonne, Sainte-Geneviève, Toulouse, Lyon, Mulhouse, Nantes, Strasbourg and other cities in France. The French team, which also took part in the last King's Cup World Sepak Takraw Championship, the major competition in the discipline, had an honourable run, although dominated by the Asians. To find out more and register for a Takraw club, you can join the Facebook community of 5,500 Takraw enthusiasts in France .

Want to learn how to play Takraw?

(1) Purchase a Sepak Takraw Ball JugglePro by clicking here: Takraw Ball JugglePro

(2) Take a look at the video below: