Sepaktakraw: Officials hope to expand game in South Asia

The South Asian Sepaktakraw Federation with its headquarters in India is making elaborate arrangements to stage sepaktakraw as an event for the first time at the forthcoming South Asian Games to be held in India with the participation of SARCC member countries India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.   This was disclosed by Nizam Hajireen, a triple international in football, rugby and sepaktakraw, the President of the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association of Sri Lanka and Deputy President of the South Asian Sepaktakraw Association (SASTAF) who attended the recently concluded 28th SEA Games in Singapore where Nizam Hajreen participated as a member of the Jury of Appeal for the Sepaktakraw Competition of the SEA Games.   “The Asian Sepaktakraw Association Ex-Co too met during the SEA Games and deliberated on the World Cup, Asia Challenge Cup and the Asian Games to be held in Bangkok in 2015, in Malaysia (2016) and in Jakarta-Indonesia in 2018 respectively and also the Asian Beach Games in Busan, Korea in August this year. The only setback being the outbreak of ‘MERS’ virus which would prompt the Beach Games in Korea being pushed back for a few months. Participation of Sri Lanka at these competitions is keenly looked forward to by the host countries considering the seniority of Sri Lanka as an affiliate member of both Asian and International Sepaktakraw Federations.”   Continuing Nizam Hajireen said, “It all depends on the Sports Ministry and the NOC of Sri Lanka where responses made for affiliation and recognition is pending which decisions are holding up the association’s future commitments. I pray that saner council will prevail and a positive response will be received from both quarters soon.”