Last updated: 15 January 2026
People search for “Sepak Takraw world rankings” because they want a simple answer: who’s the best right now? The tricky part is that Sepak Takraw doesn’t always work like tennis or badminton, where you can point to one official ranking table that updates every week.
In takraw, “rankings” are usually results-driven—based on what happened in major championships—often separated by event type (Regu, Double, Quad, Mixed Quad). The most reliable approach is to follow official competition results published by the sport’s governing body, the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF).
ISTAF SuperSeries medal tally (Wikipedia). Source: Wikipedia (accessed 2026-01-15).
Men’s tournament (Medal tally)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | Malaysia | 1 | 8 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | South Korea | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Myanmar | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 | |
Women’s tournament (Medal tally)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Vietnam | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | South Korea | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Myanmar | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 | |
Quick answer: Who are the top Sepak Takraw nations?
If you want a trustworthy benchmark, look at long-run performance in the biggest international events. Historically, nations that consistently appear at the top include:
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- India
- Vietnam
- Myanmar
These countries show up repeatedly on major event medal tables and championship summaries.
Important: “Best in the world” can change by event type (Regu vs Double vs Quad), gender category, and the latest tournament cycle.
Is there an official “world ranking” list in Sepak Takraw?
In many cases, what fans call “world rankings” are actually:
- Tournament rankings (final standings from a specific event), and/or
- Medal-based comparisons (who wins the most across major competitions), and/or
- Points tables used within certain tournament series.
ISTAF is the global governing body and publishes official rules/regulations and official event results.
So the safest way to talk about “world rankings” on sepaktakraw.co is:
- Use official ISTAF results for “latest rankings” (tournament standings), and
- Use a clearly-labeled historical benchmark (like World Cup medal tables) for long-term dominance.
understanding-sepak-takraw-terminology
Where to find the latest official rankings and results (ISTAF)
Tournament ranking vs. long-term world ranking
When ISTAF publishes a “Ranking” page for a championship, it typically refers to rankings within that tournament (who placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd… in each event).
That’s different from a single, permanent “world ranking” list.
The events that matter (Regu, Double, Quad, Mixed Quad)
Sepak Takraw is competed in multiple formats, and rankings/results are often reported per event—for example Regu, Double, Quad, and sometimes Mixed Quad.
Practical tip for this page:
Add a short “Latest official results” section near the top that links readers straight to ISTAF’s official results pages for the most recent major championship(s). That keeps your content accurate even when results change next month.
Top nations by ISTAF World Cup medals (historical benchmark)
If you want something stable and easy to understand, use an all-time medal table from the ISTAF World Cup as a historical reference point.
Historical ISTAF World Cup overall medal leaders
Below is a snapshot of the overall medal table commonly cited for the ISTAF World Cup:
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| 2 | Malaysia | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| 3 | India | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 |
| 4 | Vietnam | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | Myanmar | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
Source reference for the table: ISTAF World Cup overall medal table (Wikipedia).
What the medal table tells us (and what it doesn’t)
It tells us: who has performed best over time at one of the biggest recurring ISTAF events.
It doesn’t tell us: who is “#1 today” in every event format, because Sepak Takraw performance is event-specific and cycle-specific.
sepak-takraw-officials-and-their-duties
How “world rankings” are typically calculated in practice
If you want sepaktakraw.co to be both accurate and useful, you can present rankings in two clear layers:
1) Results-based ranking (simple method)
This is the cleanest method for a blog/site:
- Choose a time window (example: last 12–24 months)
- Track results in the biggest competitions (World Cup, King’s Cup, major regional championships)
- Rank countries by podiums + finals appearances
Pros: simple, transparent
Cons: depends on which events were held and who attended
2) Points-based ranking (advanced method)
If you want something closer to “real rankings,” create a points model and label it clearly as:
“Sepaktakraw.co Power Ranking (Editorial Method)”
Example
- Champion = 100 pts
- Runner-up = 70 pts
- Semi-final = 45 pts
- Quarter-final = 25 pts
- Bonus points for beating a top-5 nation
Key rule: never call this “official ISTAF ranking.” It’s your editorial ranking based on published results.
Why the best nations stay on top (coach’s perspective)
Even without a single universal ranking table, elite nations tend to share the same competitive advantages.
Roles and systems: Tekong, feeder, striker
At high level, teams are built around specialist roles and repeatable patterns. In ISTAF terminology, the Tekong is the server.
Great nations develop:
- a consistent server (tekong)
- a calm controller/feeder
- a striker who can finish under pressure
Depth wins championships
Top programs don’t just have one “golden regu”—they have depth. That matters because modern Sepak Takraw has multiple events, tight schedules, and high injury risk.
And because sanctioned events follow ISTAF rules and standardized courts/nets, teams can prepare with precision. For example, ISTAF’s Law of the Game specifies a 13.4m x 6.1m court and net heights around 1.52m (men, center) / 1.42m (women, center).
FAQ
Q1: Is there an official Sepak Takraw world ranking list?
A: In practice, “rankings” most often refer to official tournament standings and results published by ISTAF, rather than one single permanent global ranking table.
Q2: Who is the best country in Sepak Takraw?
A: Historically, Thailand stands out as the most successful nation in the ISTAF World Cup medal table, with Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Myanmar also among the top performers.
Q3: Where can I check the latest official results?
A: Check ISTAF’s official results pages for the most recent major championships, where they publish medalists and tournament rankings by event.
Q4: Why are there different rankings for Regu, Double, and Quad?
A: Because these are different event formats, and tournaments often award titles and rankings separately for each format.
Q5: Do Sepak Takraw rules affect rankings and results?
A: Yes—sanctioned events follow ISTAF rules and standardized court/net specs, which makes results comparable across venues and countries.