No sooner the 2011 ISTAF Sepaktakraw Championships are over, the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association in Sri Lanka (ASTASL) is making arrangements to take part in the 2010 SAF Games to be held in India.
Salim Baig, Secretary General of the Sepaktakraw Federation (STF) in India said that already the International Olympic Association of India has recommended to the Olympic Committee of India that Sepaktakraw should be included in next year's SAF Games to be held in India.
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| Nizam Hajireen |
According to Salim Baig, Raja Randhir, Secretary General of the Olympic Association of Asia has given the approval to stage the contest. "It all depends on the support which will come from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and most importantly Sri Lanka," said Salim Baig.
Baig went on to say that Sepaktakraw is very popular in the Indian state of Kerala and that they are ever ready to help Sri Lanka in the sport.
Sri Lanka's President of the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association Nizam Hajireen, a former Police rugby skipper and double international said yesterday that he was saddened by the opinion expressed by one 'Sheriffdeen' to the Sunday Times as regards the composition of the Sri Lanka team members for the ISTAF World Cup, being old persons.
Continuing Nizam Hajireen said, "We wish to clarify and clear any wrong impression that may have been created in the minds of readers of the said letter. Inadvertently the pictures of the Sri Lankan Sepaktakraw players carried in the Sunday Times had mentioned members of the coaching panel namely T.Z. Hajireen (Chairman Technical Committee) and Referee T.F. Ousmand (Chairman Organizing Committee and Assistant Coach) as players."
"The host country Malaysia and the International Sepaktakraw Federation made a fervent appeal to the ASA in Sri Lanka to somehow or the other to send a team for the inaugural ISTAF World Cup held for the first time under a new concept for the development of the game globally with the participation of all 24 member countries."
"Sepaktakraw has been played in Sri Lanka for the last two decades and has been kept alive through the painful sacrifices and dedicated commitment of officials, players and parents with no state or private funding. In short our own meagre resources has been spent to comply with the International Federation's plea. We raised funds on our own to take part in this event. A pool of ten players was selected. International requirement was for five players. During training three players sustained injuries while two others found it difficult to raise air-fare which resulted in the inclusion of a senior player for the five member team. The rest of the players are all experienced players in their mid 30's. The players who missed out on the tour are all below 25 years."
In the first game of the competition which Sri Lanka participated they went down after a dour fight to Germany, a leading team in Europe. Germany won the first set 15/10 and then gave a right royal fight before losing the second set at 8-15. In the third set Sri Lanka were beaten 15/2 by the taller Germans.
The new game format and the chilly stadium failed to put a dent in favourites Thailand's game against the Philippines. In fact Thailand hardly broke sweat as they swept past Philippines 15/7, 15/4, 15/6 in the first group. Thailand and Malaysia are the favourites to figure in the final which draws to a close today (Sunday July 24) with a grand closing ceremony. |
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