THAILAND-ASIAN GAMES/SEPAKTAKRAW Thailand's national sepaktakraw team prepares for Asian Games

Record ID: 577989

  • Title: THAILAND-ASIAN GAMES/SEPAKTAKRAW Thailand's national sepaktakraw team prepares for Asian Games
  • Date: 11th September 2014
  • Summary: NAKORN NAYOK PROVINCE, THAILAND (SEPTEMBER 10, 2014) (REUTERS) NATIONAL SEPAKTAKRAW TEAMS TRAINING IN STADIUM TEAM MEMBERS TRAINING VARIOUS OF PLAYERS PRACTICING BICYCLE KICK TRAINERS PLAYERS PRACTICING SERVING THE BALL PLAYER KICKING BALL OVERHEAD TRAINER HITTING BALL ACROSS NET TO PLAYERS PLAYERS RECEIVING BALL AND PASSING TO OTHER PLAYER PLAYERS DOING SPLITS VARIOUS PLAYERS STRETCHING LEGS NEAR WOVEN BALL TAKRAW BALLS VARIOUS OF PLAYERS JOGGING ON COURT (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAILAND'S NATIONAL SEPAKTAKRAW MEN'S TEAM MANAGER, KAMOL TANKIMHONG SAYING: "In the men's teams, we won two gold medals in both the individual team and the overall teams in all of the past four Asian Games. This time, I expect we can keep the gold medals. For the women's teams, there's no other team that can approach to them so far." TEAM MANAGER IN BRIEFING TO TEAM MEMBERS KAMOL TALKING TO TEAM MEMBERS TEAM MEMBERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAILAND'S NATIONAL SEPAKTAKRAW MEN'S TEAM MANAGER, KAMOL TANKIMHONG SAYING: "In every match we told the players that Takraw is a Thai traditional sport that we need to keep alive for as long as possible." PLAYERS PRACTISING MATCH PLAY (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAILAND NATIONAL SEPAKTAKRAW TEAM CAPTAIN, SURIYAN PEHCHAN SAYING: "The Korean team is worrying us because the country's the host and they arrange the referees for the matches." PLAYERS IN MATCH PLAY PLAYERS SERVING BALL AND KICKING IT OVER THE NET MORE OF PLAYERS PRACTICING MATCH PLAY
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7AJXDWSAS1BG7Y79GHBP8BVS4
  • Story Text: Thai Sepaktakraw players are in the final stages of training for the Asian Games on Wednesday (September 10).
    They have been preparing for the competition at a camp in Nakon Nayok province for the past five months.
    The twelve players from three men teams will travel to Korea on September 16 to defend their top position in the traditionally Asian sport.
    The sport, native to Southeast Asia, sees players use any part of their bodies except their hands and arms to send a rattan ball into the opposing court.
    Thailand has dominated the sport since it was introduced at the 1990 Beijing Games, winning 18 of the 27 golds awarded. There are six golds on offer in this year's games, which are held in Incheon.
    "In the men's teams, we won two gold medals in both the individual team and the overall teams in all of the past four Asian Games. This time, I expect we can keep the gold medals. For the women's teams, there's no other team that can approach to them so far," said Kamol Tankimhong, manager of the men's national sepaktakraw team.
    Both Thailand and Malaysia claim to have invented the sport.
    There are different versions throughout the region.
    In Myanmar, the sport, which is called 'Chinlone', has no opposing team. Instead the object is to keep the ball in the air.
    "In every match we told the players that Takraw is a Thai traditional sport that we need to keep alive for as long as possible," Kamol added.
    Aside from arguable claim of the sport's original, Thailand and Malaysia are side by side in world ranking as Thailand current on the first and Malaysia in the second in the international Sepaktakraw federation.
    This year, Thailand's men's teams are worried.
    "The Korean team is worrying us because the country's the host and they arrange the referees for the matches," said Suriyan Pehchan, the 40 year-old captain of the Thai team, who has been with the players since the sport was first introduced to the Asian Games.
    Sepaktakraw is expected to bring in the most medals for Thailand. The country has 517 athletes participating in the 2014 games. The country is hoping to bring home at least four medals from the men and women's teams.
    The Sports Authority of Thailand has predicted that the country will win 13 to 15 gold medals while the Olympic Committee of Thailand has set a target of 9 to 10 golds.
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