RECENTLY I had a chance to watch the national finals of the Philippine Sepak Takraw League-Season 1 hosted by the Rizal Technological University in Mandaluyong City at its newly opened air-conditioned wellness gym.
You see I find this sport visually exciting, seeing the athletes up in the air in seemingly impossible positions and unleashing kicks that would send a ball into the opposite court. Just like in a volleyball game which I also follow but just the women’s side of the game, though there is no comparing the current popularity that women’s volleyball enjoys.
However, sepak takraw as a minor sport has seen a serious growth in popularity particularly in the provinces and its recently concluded first-ever national championships at RTU is ample proof of my observation. And believe me there is nothing accidental about this growth of the sport with feisty Karen Tanchanco-Caballero as the moving force behind it. She is also looked at as a mother by her athletes and officials who worship her for the way she works for their welfare.
I met tournament director Jolly Labay and according to him the growth of the sport began when the Philippines won the world doubles championship in Thailand, considered as the strongest in the sport where it originated. And from that point, the NSA of sepak started its rapid development as full funding from the Philippine Sports Commission was made available too.
What was good was that the recognition for the sport was not limited to the country as Karen got elected as vice-president of the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation, encouraging her to do more for the sport which included conceptualizing the national championships. It started early this year with regional qualifying tournaments in Mindanao, the Visayas, South and North Luzon with the top four men’s teams in each regional earning a slot in the national finals in Manila while for the distaff side, an Open tournament was conducted coinciding with the men’s national championships.
For the record, in the men’s side, host RTU bowed in straight sets to Philippine Navy while STC-Pasig beat visiting Sagay team also in straight sets for the crown in the distaff side. Jolly added that the winners will be sent next year to the Arafura Games and the Asian Championships, again, a key component in developing any sport plus a stint in the Malaysian Sepak Takraw League on December 22 to 28.
Two years ago, the sport delivered a silver medal in the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia and this year, Karen is definitely looking beyond just a silver medal after sending her national athletes for a three-month long training stint in Thailand with the athletes returning to Manila by early November, ready and raring to go in the 30th SEA Games here.
I got in touch with Karen after the national finals as we did not see each other there as I was present in the morning and she came in after lunch. I asked her about her honest assessment for her wards’ chances in the SEA Games and her reply was to win two of the six gold medals at stake will be a dream come true with Thailand, which is a world powerhouse in sepak takraw, as the top seed and Malaysia as a serious contender.
But then with the solid preparation she gave to her athletes and the fact that there will be a solid local crowd support for all our national athletes during the event, I would not be surprised if indeed Karen’s dream for her sport comes true in the SEA Games.
And I intend to watch live the sepak takraw competition, among other events, and cheer on our athletes.