KUALA LUMPUR: Sepak takraw is set to write a new chapter in its history when it is contested at the World Abilitysport Beach Games 2025 in Mersin, Turkiye, from October 18-25 as a medal sport.
International Sepak Takraw Federation’s (ISTAF’s) 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 yesterday.
Abdul Halim, who is also Asian Sepak Takraw Federation’s (ASTAF’s) 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 sepak takraw 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 sepak takraw team.
Adaptive sepak takraw 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
