Sepak takraw looks, at first glance, like volleyball played with feet. That description undersells it significantly. Players launch themselves into scissor kicks and bicycle kicks that send a rattan ball over a 1.52-metre net, then land on their hands and roll to safety. The ball travels at speeds that make it hard to track. If you have not seen it played at high level, it is worth finding a video before reading further.
The sport has deep roots across Southeast Asia. “Sepak” is Malay for kick. “Takraw” is Thai for the woven rattan ball used in play. The name is a union of Malaysian and Thai words, which tells you something about the sport’s regional character. No single country owns it; Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar all have long traditions of the game. Malaysia claims it as a national sport. Thailand’s version (called “takraw”) is equally embedded.
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How sepak takraw is played
A sepak takraw court is the same size as a badminton doubles court: 13.4 metres by 6.1 metres. The net height is 1.52 metres for men (1.42 metres for women). Each team has three players: a tekong (server, who stands at the back), and two in-court players called “strikers” or “feeders.”
The tekong serves by standing in a circle and kicking the ball over the net, using any part of the body except the arms and hands. The receiving team then has three touches to return the ball. Points are won when the ball lands in the opponent’s court or when the opponent commits a fault.
Matches are best of three sets. Each set goes to 21 points. The format mirrors badminton closely — same court, same net, same scoring logic — with the radical difference that hands are not allowed.
The acrobatic element
What makes sepak takraw famous internationally is the “roll spike” or “bicycle kick” spike. A player jumps, rotates in the air, and strikes the ball with the back of their heel while airborne, generating extreme downward force and spin on the ball. Executed well, the ball becomes nearly unreturnable — it arrives at the opponent’s side of the court faster than most athletes can track and react.
There is also the “side scissor kick” (or “scissor kick spike”) where a player kicks across their own body. And the “header spike” — exactly what it sounds like. These techniques require not just flexibility but serious upper-body strength to absorb the landing safely. Most elite players train acrobatics and gymnastics alongside the ball skills.
At the professional level, players in Thailand and Malaysia start training young — often before 10 years old. The motor patterns for a proper bicycle kick spike take years to groove reliably.
Is sepak takraw a sport? Its competitive status
Yes. Sepak takraw is a recognised competitive sport with an international governing body, the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF), founded in 1988. It has been a medal sport at the Asian Games since 1990 and at the Southeast Asian Games since 1965. As of 2025, it is not an Olympic sport, though multiple bids have been made for inclusion.
Thailand has dominated competitive sepak takraw at the international level, winning the Asian Games gold medal most frequently. South Korea has been a strong challenger and has occasionally beaten Thailand in major tournaments. Myanmar and Malaysia are also competitive at the continental level.
“Sepak takraw national sport of which country” is one of the most-searched questions about the game. The honest answer: it is a national sport in both Malaysia and Thailand, with strong traditions also in the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, and across Southeast Asia.
The rattan ball
The traditional takraw ball is woven from rattan strips in a spherical lattice pattern. It weighs between 150 and 180 grams (men) or 140 and 160 grams (women) and has a circumference of 42-44 cm. Synthetic balls are now used in most competitive settings for consistency. The rattan ball has a distinctive clicking sound on contact that is part of the sport’s auditory signature — heard in markets, school yards, and community spaces across Southeast Asia.
Sepak takraw in the Philippines
In the Philippines, the sport is sometimes called “sipa” in its traditional form (a simpler kick-the-ball game), but competitive sepak takraw as governed by ISTAF has a growing presence. Filipino athletes have competed at the Southeast Asian Games in sepak takraw, and the sport is promoted in schools under the Department of Education’s physical education curriculum. Articles in Filipino sports media tend to focus on the acrobatic elements, which translate well for audiences unfamiliar with the competitive structure.
FAQ: sepak takraw
Is sepak takraw a sport?
Yes. Sepak takraw has an international governing body (ISTAF), is a medal sport at the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, and is played competitively across Asia and in diaspora communities worldwide. It is not yet an Olympic sport.
Which country is sepak takraw from?
The sport evolved across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia and Thailand both having centuries-old traditions. The modern competitive form and the name “sepak takraw” (combining Malaysian and Thai words) emerged from cooperation between both countries in the 1960s.
Is sepak takraw an Olympic sport?
Not yet. Sepak takraw has been in discussions for Olympic inclusion multiple times but has not been added to the programme as of 2025. It is well-established at the Asian Games level.
What is the national sport of Malaysia?
Sepak takraw is one of Malaysia’s national sports (alongside badminton, which is the dominant one). The sport is embedded in Malaysian school curricula and has a professional competitive league.
How hard is it to learn sepak takraw?
The basic kick-and-return elements are learnable relatively quickly. The bicycle kick spike that makes the sport famous internationally takes years of dedicated practice and requires significant flexibility and body control. Most elite players start young and train acrobatics alongside ball skills.
Sepak takraw’s global reach
The sport is played in 31 countries as of ISTAF’s last count, with competitive programmes in South Korea, Japan, India, and the United States alongside the Southeast Asian core. YouTube has given sepak takraw a global audience — videos of bicycle kick spikes routinely get millions of views from people who have never seen the sport live. Whether that online interest converts into competitive growth outside Asia remains to be seen.
For more national sports from around Southeast Asia and beyond, the national sports of all countries article covers traditions from over 100 nations. If you are interested in other contact sports with ancient roots, kabaddi — South Asia’s tag-and-tackle sport — is worth exploring.
