‘Sepak Takra’ is an exciting and artistic game of South-East Asia, in which a unique mixture of volleyball and football is seen. In this game of agility, balance, strength and superb athletic skill, players send the ball from one side of the net to the other using their feet, knees, chest and head without using their hands.
Sepak Takraw is extremely popular in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, which was also adopted by India. It has the status of official sport in the Asian Games. Gradually this game is making its mark even at the global level. Outside Southeast Asia, the game is also popular in other Western countries, including the USA and Canada.
Around the 14th century, when the fishermen of the Malay community returned after catching fish, they used to make balls of leaves and play with them for entertainment. People of Thailand and nearby countries also entertain themselves in a similar manner. Gradually, instead of leaves, rattan strips were used to make the ball, after which synthetic ‘fibre’ or synthetic ‘rubber’ started being used for it. Formal rules related to this game were also introduced for the first time in the 1940s.
Gradually this game spread to South Asia. In Malaysia it was known as ‘Sepak’ and in Thailand it was known as ‘Takara’. ‘Sepak’ means ‘kick’ in Malay language, while ‘takara’ means ‘to hit the ball’ in Thai language. Both the countries have dominance in this game. In such a situation, this game was named ‘Sepak Takra’.
However, in some countries it is recognized by different names. In Malaysia it was called ‘Sepak Raga’, while in the Philippines it was named ‘Sipa’. In Myanmar it got fame by the name of ‘Chiney’. In India it was also called ‘kick volleyball’.
This game was introduced for the first time in India in the year 1980. Meanwhile, a meeting of sports lovers was held at Nagpur Physical Education College and the formation of Sepak Takraw Federation of India was considered.
After an exhibition match played at the Kamal Singh Stadium during the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi, the game was also held in other cities. Finally, in the year 1985, ‘Sepak Takra Federation of India’ was formed in Delhi. It is currently affiliated with 29 state association federations.
Sepak Takraw Federation of India was recognized by the Indian Olympic Association in the year 1998. In the same year, in the King’s Cup World Sepak Takraw Championship held in Bangkok, the Indian men’s team won the bronze medal, while the women’s team won the silver. At the 1999 Sepak Takraw World Championships, the Indian men’s team won gold in the Regu event.
Sepak Takraw World Cup was organized in Patna in the year 2025, in which the Indian men’s Regu team won the gold medal by defeating Japan in the final.
The Indian team won a total of 7 medals in this World Cup, including silver for the women’s doubles team. Apart from this, bronze medals of men’s doubles team, women’s Regu team, mixed quad team, women’s quad team and men’s quad team were also included.
Sepak Takraw has five major events: team event, regu, quad, doubles and mixed doubles. During the match, each player plays a particular position. The ‘tekong’ stands at the back of the court, while an inside left and an inside right play near the net on either side of the court, known as ‘feeders’ and ‘smashers’.
In this game, 3 players compete against their opposing team across the net on the court. The dimensions of the Sepak Takraw court are 13.4 x 6.1 meters. For men, the net is installed at a height of 1.5 meters in the center of the court, whereas in women’s matches, its height is 1.42 meters.
The ball, made from synthetic material, should have 12 holes and 20 intersections. This ball can be of one color or multicolored, but it should not be of such a color that the players have to face problems.
According to international standards, the weight of the ball in men’s game should be 170-180 grams, while the circumference should be 42-44 centimeters. At the same time, in women’s matches, the weight of the ball should be 150-160 grams, while the circumference should be 43-45 centimeters.
In Sepak Takraw, whenever the opposing team makes a mistake, the other team gets a point. These include mistakes like touching the ball with the hand, the ball not going into the opposing team’s half, the ball falling outside the net or the boundary of the court, playing the ball more than 3 times in a row, the inside player touching the net while throwing the ball, the player jumping from the ground while serving and the player not kicking the ball while serving.
India has made considerable progress at the international level in Sepak Takraw in the last few years. The Sports Ministry has also taken necessary steps to promote it. Sepak Takra Federation of India Treasurer Kishore Kumar Bisht told IANS that the federation organizes international camps from time to time.
For this, the government releases funds, or SAI manages it. Camps are also organized for players abroad. The government is providing all possible help to the players for this.
A lot of money is being spent by the Sports Ministry on national and international level players. There are national level tournaments in three categories – Sub Junior National Championship, International Championship and Senior National Championship. The government provides funds to the federation for all these tournaments.
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