Sepak Takraw: Hidden Treasure

“Have you played Sepak Takraw?” “What’s that?”

If you ask someone what’s their favorite sport, he would likely say basketball, table tennis,
and other popular sports but not Sepak Takraw also introduced as Kick Volleyball. It is
classified as one of the most underrated sports here in the Philippines. It is played like
volleyball, but instead of using hands to spike the ball, it only uses the feet, knees, chests,
shoulders, and head.

Even though the name ‘Sepak Takraw’ is rarely mentioned and heard, its rich and vibrant
history is always at the top in countries in South-East Asia.

The name Sepak Takraw originated in Malaysia and Thailand meaning ‘kick’ and ‘woven
rattan ball’ thus it is translated as ‘kick a rattan ball’ or ‘kick ball’. Its ball is made from rattan
or synthetic plastic, smaller than a volleyball.

Sepak Takraw has a resemblance to several native sports. In the Philippines, we have Sipa
while Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore have Sepak Raga and Katao in Laos. All of these
sports are related to Sepak Takraw.

It would be a sight to see if kids these days are aware of this hidden treasure. May our
generation pass this knowledge to many to come.