THE SEPAK takraw team of Puerto Princesa won third in the recently held Kings Cup Sepak Takraw World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand in the men’s double event division and men’s team event division.
Held on August 25-30 this year, the city team bested players from Thailand and Malaysia who were reported to be all hard to beat.
National coach Camilo Apdon said it was hard for the city team to particularly beat players from the two countries because they were very good. Sepak takraw or “foot volleyball” involves stunning athletic moves, such as overhead kicks and flying somersaults.
Meanwhile, Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn lauded the achievement of the city team, saying they gave Puerto Princesa something to be proud of.
“I am not expecting them to win because when they left Puerto Princesa we really had no funds allotted to support them. I am so happy because despite what they lack, they still worked hard to win a bronze medal,” he said.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod, on the other hand, through Councilor Rebecca V. Labit, said they will give focus in the development of the sport in the city as part of its sports tourism capital campaign and to help the sepak takraw players improve their individual skills.
Several Southeast Asian countries claim sepak takraw as their own. The game has been played by the indigenous people of what is now Malaysia since the 15th century. Known as sepak raga—sepak is Bahasa Malaysia for “kick”—the game was played in the courts of early Malaysian royalty. “There are many references to it in Malayan folklore,” according to the International Dictionary of Sports and Games.
When Malaya was under British rule the game was partly replaced by rugby, cricket, and other sports.
However, it survived in rural surroundings where it was a favorite recreation of the Malay peasants.” The game survived because of its simplicity:
All that was required was a woven ball, and the game could be played indoors or out.
Its popularity was reinforced because it required many of the skills of soccer, which was also popular in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.
