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It’s volleyball, no wait it’s football, noooo it’s Sepak Takraw<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sepak Takraw translates to ‘kick a ball”. <\/span>Sepak means to kick in Malay and Takraw is a rattan ball. The sport is widely believed to have originated in Malaysia in the early 15th century before spreading to other parts of Southeast Asia over the next hundred years.<\/p>\n

But is it possible that the its roots lie in the “cuju”, a traditional Chinese exercise wherein soldiers would try to keep a feathered shuttlecock in the air by kicking it to each other. <\/span>Who really knows?<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, Sepak Takraw started of as a cooperative exercise to improve flexibility and mobility. <\/span>It was only in the 1940s that the modern version of the sport took shape and nets were introduced to the game.<\/p>\n

Today, the game is usually played by 6 people (two teams of three each). It can however also be played by two people (singles) or by 8 people in teams of four. <\/span>A game consists of three sets of 21 points each.The court is broadly the size of a badminton court. <\/span>Imagine playing volleyball, but instead of hands, you can only use your feet, chest or head to touch the ball. <\/span>Thus blending in elements of football as well.<\/p>\n

The International Sepak Takraw Foundation (ISTF) is the global body currently governing the sport. <\/span>The sport has been regularly featured at the Asian games and it has now spread well beyond Southeast Asia. The game has garnered interest across Asia, Europe and the Americas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other forms of the sport have also popped up across the globe, understandably in places where football is popular; these include kickvolley (South America), bossaball (Spain) and sipa to name a few.<\/p>\n

However, the rattan woven ball which is sometimes still used (synthetic rubber balls are now preferred and predominantly used) in Sepak Takraw gives it that old world charm. <\/p>\n

I was most amazed to see the flexibility of the strikers (attacking players near the net) who regularly make 360 degree jumps to kick the ball. <\/span>Their ball control and precision were unnerving. Just imagining the amount of splits they must do as part of the exercise regime gives me the shivers. <\/p>\n

Sadly, as exhilarating as the sport feels, I’ll have to give it a pass for now. <\/span>Football has never been my forte, flexibility escapes me and the level of physicality required is a tad more than I can handle.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s volleyball, no wait it’s football, noooo it’s Sepak Takraw Sepak Takraw translates to ‘kick a ball”. Sepak means to kick in Malay and Takraw is a rattan ball. The sport is widely believed to have originated in Malaysia in the early 15th century before spreading to other parts of Southeast Asia over the next …<\/p>\n