Sepak takraw, often dubbed “kick volleyball,” is a traditional Southeast Asian sport that blends acrobatics with the rules of volleyball — using feet instead of hands. Different from other sports, sepak takraw uses a ball made from rattan.
Initially played as a community sport, the game brought villagers together. Today, sepak takraw is no longer limited to rural villages — it has grown into an international sport with its own World Cup.
The Origins and Evolution of Sepak Takraw
Sepak takraw first emerged around 500 years ago in Malaysia. Then it spread to Indonesia in the 16th century as “Sepak Raga”. By the 1940s, the sport was widely spread across Southeast Asia, leading to its first official rules and regulations establishment.
The sport is known by various names across the region — “Takraw” in Thailand, “Sepa Sepa” in the Philippines, “Ching Loong” in Myanmar, and “Kator” in Laos.
The first official competition took place in 1945 in Penang, still known as “Sepak Raga Jaring” featuring teams from local villages. By the 1950s, the game was popular in schools that had badminton courts, mostly played by soccer players who had similar skills involved in.
In 1960, the Malaysian Sepak Raga Federation was established. 5 years later, the was included in the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, and then officially named “Sepak Takraw”.
Sepak Takraw as Community Sport © Pixabay
Sepak Takraw on the Global Stage
Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF) was founded in 1965, then later in 1992, the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) was formed, which are both based in Singapore.
Sepak takraw has been part of the Asian Games since 1992 in Beijing. Then in 1998, it was introduced in the Commonwealth Games, making history of the first appearance in a non-Asian international sporting event.
In 2011, the first ISTAF World Cup was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Now, more than 20 countries worldwide are playing sepak takraw in several international events or world tournaments.
How to Play Sepak Takraw?
Sepak takraw has similar rules to volleyball, but instead of using hands, the players use their feet, knees, shoulders, chest, and head. Seeing the way it's played, the sport seems to demand players with agility and acrobatic skills.
In order to win, one of the teams has to score more points in three sets, gained from the opponent's faults. Every set changes, the teams also change court sides. The losing team from the previous set will serve the ball first in the next set.
The pieces of equipment needed are only the rattan ball and net, the dimension of the playing court is 13.4 by 6.1 meters, similar to doubles badminton. Additionally, the players also need to wear shoes and protective gears. The ball is made from natural rattan or synthetic fiber, weighing 170-180 grams for men and 150-160 grams for women.
The Rattan Ball © Pixabay
Cultural Significance and Traditional Roles
The players consist of three main positions, the server, fielder, and striker. In Malay, the server is called tekong, the fielder is called apek kanan, and the striker is called apek kiri. There are also Malay names for various used kicking techniques such as sepak silap (side volley), sepak silang (cross-court kick), gunting (scissors kick), and ribas pari (flying volley).
In the past, villagers gathered and interacted while playing the game, passing the ball from one to another. This becomes a communal identity and improves teamwork and solidarity.
Sepak takraw was also played across Southeast Asia to rejoice in festivals, cultural events, and celebrations. Until today, the game continues as part of the community's practices.
References:
- https://sepaktakraw.ca/international-sepak-takraw-history
- https://sportsmatik.com/sports/sepak-takraw/about
- https://www.roots.gov.sg/ich-landing/ich/sepak-takraw
