Sepaktakraw To Be Contested In World Abilitysport Beach Games In October

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- Sepaktakraw is set to write a new chapter in its history when it is contested at the 2025 World Abilitysport Beach Games in Mersin, Turkiye, from Oct 18-25 as a medal sport.

International Sepaktakaw Federation (ISTAF) secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Kader said the sport has been accepted into the Games via an email from the Games’ head of operations Elin Luce on July 14.

"Besides Thailand, ISTAF has also listed Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan as among the seven or eight countries expected to take part,” he said in a statement today.

Abdul Halim, who is also Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (ASTAF) president, said that so far the organisers have only confirmed the participation of Thailand, Indonesia and Laos.

As such, he said ISTAF will set up a special sub-committee to encourage member countries to form their respective adaptive sepaktakraw team.

“We are still working to secure the participation of South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan, which will require the cooperation of ISTAF and ASTAF, including Malaysia,” he said.

Abdul Halim is confident of forging close cooperation with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM), particularly involving the participation of the country's adaptive sepaktakraw team.

Adaptive sepaktakraw will be contested in three categories:

TKR1: Athletes with above-the-knee amputation on one leg who use a prosthetic leg or balancing aid;

TKR2: Athletes with below-the-knee amputation on one leg, wearing a prosthetic leg, or those with muscle atrophy, polio or leg length discrepancy; and

TKR3: Athletes with below-the-elbow amputation on one arm, or those with congenital anomalies, muscle stiffness, atrophy, or polio.

Three events will also be contested, namely Arm Category (all players have a disability in one arm); Mixed 1 (one player with a leg disability together with two players with arm disabilities); and Mixed Quadrant (two players with leg disabilities and two with arm disabilities).

-- BERNAMA