About

Sepak takraw or kick volleyball is a sport native to Southeast Asia, resembling volleyball, except that it uses a rattan ball and only allows players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball. It is a popular sport in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Australia, Philippines and Indonesia.

In Thailand, the game is simply called takraw. It is also thuck thay (Lao: "twine" and "kick") while in Malaysia it is sometimes called sepak raga. In the Philippines it is known as sipa, meaning "kick". In Australia it is known as "footnis", presumably combining the spelling for football and tennis.

The sport had already become popular in Malaysia and Thailand by the early 1400s. Back then it was called takraw in Thai or sepak raga (literally "kick rattan ball", because the ball is made of rattan) in Malay and played mainly by men and boys standing in a circle, kicking the ball back and forth between them.

Similar games include footbag net, footvolley, Bossaball, jianzi and sipa. (Credit: Wikipedia)

Chinese Sepak Takraw Association

Founded: 1985

Headquarters: Beijing

ISTAF Member since:

President: Sun Yongfu

Secretary-General: TANG Fengxiang

Add: 9 Tiyuguan Road, Chongwen District, Beijing 100763, China

Tel: (86-10) 67118053

Fax: (86-10) 67114994

E-mail: hongguang2000@eyou.com

Brief introduction:

Sepak takraw was introduced into China only 14 years ago. With the publishing of the Chinese version of the Rules of Sepak takraw in July 1987, the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission (now the State Sport General Administration) began to promote the sport among sports associations of some provinces, municipalities and trades. At the end of the same year, a sepak takraw team organized by the Asian Sepak Takraw Union came to China and played exhibition matches with the local teams.

In April 1988, the National Longteng Cup Sepak Takraw Invitational Tournament, initiated by the Harbin Railway Bureau, was held at the Gymnasium of the Qiqihar Railway Bureau, which opend a new era of the sport in this country.

In September 1988, the 1st National Sepak Takraw Championships were conducted by the State Sports Commission, with the participation of teams from the Locomotive Sports Association, Xi'an, Dalian, Anshan and Jiangxi Province.

In November 1988, the first team representing China was sent to Singapore for training and competition. At the World Sepak Takraw Championships held in Malaysia in the following month, the team emerged the winners in the international group.

At the 11th Asian Games in 1990, the Chinese team managed to place fourth in the team event and sixth in the singles.

At present, in the Locomotive Sports Association, Tianjin Physical Education Institute and Nanning of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region there are three bases for sepak takraw training and competitions.

Annual national sepak takraw fixtures include: Tengxie Cup National Sepak Takraw Tournament for Champions, National Tournament for University Students and National Junior Tournament.

International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISF)

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