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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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Sri Lanka primes up for two vital tourneys Sepaktakraw, by Lal Gunasekera Sri Lanka will compete in both the First Asian Indoor Hoop Takrow event at the Bankapi Mall in Bangkok and the 20th King's Cup World Sepaktakraw Championships, also to be staged in Bangkok, Thailand in November-December. The President of the Amateur Sepaktakraw Association of Sri Lanka (ASASL), Nizam Hajireen, told the Sunday Observer that the national pool is scheduled to start training in the first week next month (June) at the CR & FC courts, Longden Place. Last year (2004), Sri Lanka, entered in semi-finals for the first time in the Doubles event losing to Germany and France in close ties. Hajireen, who is also a Vice-President of the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF), and the Deputy Chairman of the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) and also a member of its Disciplinary Committee, said that Sri Lanka, has been invited by the Singapore Sepaktakraw Federation (SSTF) to compete in an international Sepaktakraw Championship in June-July. He also confirmed that a Sri Lanka Expatriat Club in Dubai too has extended an invitation to the ASASL to figure in exhibition matches in Dubai and Sharjah at the end of this year or early next year (2006). A team of eight players and two officials will be selected from the side that will compete in Thailand. All expenses are to be met by the Lankans in Dubai. Sri Lanka started this sport in 1985, but the Sepaktakraw Federation was defunct since 1990. Then, the ASASL, was formed and it has not only kept the sport alive in the island, but also affiliated to both the ASTAP and ISTAF too with Hajireen being picked for the jury for the Asian Games and also as an Executive Committee member of ISTAF. Currently, the ASASL has started a coaching camp for both boys and girls of Maharagama, Boralesgamuwa and Kottawa areas under a panel of qualified coaches to attain the skills and mastery of this sport started by the Malaysians in the mid-1980's. |
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