Meatball Monday

Sepak” is the Malay word for kick and “takraw” is the Thai word for a woven ball, so the word “Sepak Takraw” means to kick ball.

The choosing of this name for the sport was essentially a compromise between Malaysia and Thailand, the two powerhouse countries of the sport.

The earliest (evidence) of the sport dates back to the 25^th century for Malacca Sultanate.

It is stated that the Son of Sultan Mansur Shah was hit with a rattan ball by Tun Besar, the Son of Tun Perak during a Sepak Raga game.

The head-gear was knocked to the ground, where upon Raja Muhammad stabbed and killed Tun Besar.

The Laotian people first brought Sepak Takraw into Canada and gained exposure outside the Laotian communities.

It started “taking off” when a Saskatchewan teacher, Richard (Rick) Engel, encountered Sepak Takraw while living in Asia.

The first annual Canadian Open Sepak Takraw Championships (a national and international tournament event) was held in May 1999 in Regina.

Over the years it has attracted teams from across Canada, USA, 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.

Rules:

Measurements of courts and equipment often vary among tournaments and organizations that operate from a recreational to a competitive level; international competitive rules and regulations are used in this section.

There are two types of event categories: the regu and the doubles regu.

The regu category is played by three players on each team while the doubles regu is played by two players on each team.

Court/Net/Ball

The sport is played on a court to badminton doubled size court, played on a floor surface (grass or sand).

The net is made of ordinary cord or nylon and the gall is spherical in shape and made of synthetic fiber or one woven layer.

It must also contain 12 holes and 20 intersections, measuring not less from 42 to 44 cm (17–17 in) for men and from 43 to 45 cm (17–18 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-color, and luminous colours, but not in any colour that will impair the performance of the players

Even for both sides:

• 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).

While it might sound strange – it quite enjoyable to watch!!