Sepak takraw is a game which can be said to be very similar to volleyball. It is a type of game that originated in Indonesia and it is also very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. However, it is important to know that there are many differences between the two games. Here are some of them:
Origins
Sepak Takraw is a sport originating from South-East Asia. It is played by two teams of three players each, who use their feet to touch a ball and volley it over a net. There are rules similar to volleyball and soccer.
The game originated in the Malacca Sultanate during the 15th century. Later on, the game spread to the Riau Islands in Sumatra. In the 16th century, it was introduced to Indonesia, where it gained popularity. Southeast Asian countries dominate the sport today. Other notable contenders are Iran and India. Some teams, such as Myanmar, are emerging as force to be reckoned with on the international stage.
In Malaysia, Sepak Takraw is referred to as Sepak Raga Jaring. This sport is also played in Thailand. However, there is some controversy surrounding its origins. It has been argued that the origin of this sport is the ancient Chinese game, which is a juggling game, in which the player juggles a woven leather ball with his or her feet. Although there are some similarities, the Thai and Malay versions are different.
The modern competitive version of Sepak Takraw was sown in both Malaysia and Thailand during the first half of the twentieth century. Since then, Thailand has secured the most gold medals in the sport.
As a community sport, Sepak Takraw is popular in Southeast Asia. Today, the sport is also popular in the United States. In the 1970s, the Lao people immigrated to Canada as refugees and brought the sport to the country with them.
Sepak Takraw has become a huge attraction in the Southeast Asian Games. In 1990, the sport was included as a medal sport. At the 2011 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, 36 teams competed, and 180 athletes took part. These teams came from more than 60 countries. A few of the major competitors are Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Sepak Takraw was also introduced to the United States by Asian communities, as a form of communication and teamwork. In the 1980s, it began gaining popularity in Los Angeles. Rick Engel, a teacher in Saskatchewan, helped to introduce the sport in schools. Eventually, he went to Thailand and produced a widely used instructional video on Sepak Takraw.
Throughout the years, the sport has been adopted by Canadian communities, as well. ASEC International, a Canadian sports organization, has helped promote Sepak Takraw throughout the nation. They also helped to organize the first inter-provincial tournament in 1998. Currently, the sport is recognized in more than thirty countries, including Canada, United States, and Australia.
Aside from being a sport, Sepak Takraw is a form of fun that encourages a sense of communal ties. During festive events, villagers would gather in a circle and pass the ball from one player to the other. While the ball is being passed, a count is taken of how many passes are made. If the number is equal to or greater than the opponent’s number, then the person who makes the most passes wins the “Raga.”
Today, Sepak Takraw is considered as a hybrid sport, combining aspects of volleyball and soccer. Originally, the ball was made of rattan, but synthetic fiber or plastic are now used to make balls.
Similarities to volleyball
Sepak Takraw is a popular sport in Southeast Asia. It is similar to volleyball but with a few notable differences. One major difference is that the ball in Sepak Takraw is not allowed to touch the ground. To make this possible, a net is used. The ball is also made from rattan or synthetic fibre. This means that the ball is smaller than a volleyball ball.
Another key feature of Sepak Takraw is the gravity-defying athletic moves that the players must make. Some common maneuvers are headers, which involve kicking the ball over the top of the net. If a player fails to kick the ball over the net, a point is awarded to the other team.
In order to win a match, a team must score a minimum of 21 points. Typically, the game is played over two sets. A team that scores more points in the first set wins. However, in the third set, the first team to reach 11 points wins.
Sepak takraw is an extremely fast volleyball style game, where players must make spectacular kicks. Although it is a sport played on a court, it can be played indoors or outdoors. Originally played in South Asia, it is now growing in popularity in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Korea.
The Sepak Takraw team is usually composed of three players. They can rotate players anytime during the game. When the game begins, the server takes the ball and kicks it over the net. The other two players then try to make the ball reach the other side of the court. Each team can touch the ball once, twice or three times before passing it back to the other team.
The ball in Sepak Takraw is a spherical, rattan ball. It has a circumference of 42 centimeters. As a result, it is smaller than a volleyball ball, which has a circumference of 70 centimeters. Normally, the ball is made of lightweight rubber.
A Sepak Takraw game is played on a court that is the size of a badminton court. Unlike volleyball, which uses an inner bladder to keep the ball in the air, the ball in Sepak Takraw is kept in the air by the net. Once the ball reaches the other side of the court, the opponent is responsible for keeping the ball in bounds. For each hit that the opponent makes, the team must play the ball back over the net within three hits.
In Sepak Takraw, the team that wins the first set has the option to choose the service. However, if the ball lands in the opposing team’s half of the court, the other team is in violation. There are also two sets of rules for the third set.
Similarities between Sepak Takraw and volleyball include the same basic mechanics, scoring and playing rules. Nevertheless, Sepak Takraw is a sport that requires a lot of acrobatics and agility. Most top players combine excellent foot-eye coordination, agility and power.
Other names
Sepak Takraw, formerly known as Sepak Raga Jaring in Malaysia and Singapore, is a traditional game in Southeast Asia, and also in the region of Indonesia. It was played as early as the 1400s during the Malacca Sultanate in Malaysia.
The sport began as a form of play during festive events in Southeast Asia. Villagers would gather in a circle and pass a ball from player to player. They would then count the number of passes made. In the 15th century, the game was played by the royal court. As it gained popularity, it was adapted to become a competitive sport.
A similar game was played by the Thai people during the reign of King Naresuan (1590-1605) of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. These people used a woven rattan ball to play. However, as the sport developed, a volleyball-like net was introduced by the Siam Sports Association. This created an entirely different set of rules.
The modern game of Sepak was started during the 1940s. Hamid Mydin was the first to be recognized as the founder of the sport. After that, the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation was founded in Penang in 1965. Although Sepak Takraw is popular in Southeast Asia, it has gained popularity in other regions as well.
Since 2005, Thailand has dominated international competition. Currently, it has a number of gold medals in the sport. However, the country hasn’t won the gold medal in all of the international tournaments.
On the other hand, Thailand’s dominance of the sport has forced the other Southeast Asian nations to improve their teams. Some countries, like Indonesia and Singapore, have even become strong forces to be reckoned with on the international stage.
Although the game was originally played with rattan balls, modern Sepak Takraw uses synthetic rubber or a soft durable material to make the ball. Additionally, the ball’s construction must be approved by the ISTAF.
The game is played on a double sized badminton court. Each team consists of three players. Unlike volleyball, which is played with two players per team, Sepak Takraw is played with only three. To start the match, a player serves the ball. One player is called the tekong, who is in the back of the court. He or she must serve the ball with one foot in a service circle.
The goal of the game is to hit the ball over the net. The first team to score 21 points wins. If the ball goes out of bounds, a point is awarded to the team. Usually, a team will play three sets. Teams may rotate their players, if they wish.
Like volleyball, the game is played with a set of formal rules. However, these rules were formalized in the 1960s, when a meet in Kuala Lumpur was organized. During the meeting, representatives from various countries decided on the game’s regulations.