THE decision on whether sepak takraw will be reinstated as a core sport or not will be known after the 2024 Olympics in Paris concludes, says Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh.
Hannah said that the decision will be determined by the National Sports Council (NSC), which is currently focused on preparing for the global sports event which is set to begin from Friday until Aug 11.
“The decision will be made within this year and as soon as possible after the Olympics. We understand sepak takraw is very popular among communities both urban and rural, evidenced by sold-out tickets and high online viewership during the 2024 Sepak Takraw World Cup,“ she said.
She made these remarks during a press conference after the roundtable discussion on sports engagement among senior citizens Series II 2024, held here today.
Sepak takraw, along with weightlifting and taekwondo, were removed from the national core sports list by the NSC in 2017 due to poor performance and lack of improvement based on a reassessment, including in-depth studies of their performances since 2007.
On May 22 this year, the national sepak takraw squad made history by ending Thailand’s dominance, defeating them 2-0 in both the regu and doubles finals at the 2024 Sepak Takraw World Cup in the capital city.
Regarding the request for the construction of a stadium the Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia (PSM), Hannah said her ministry is open to collaborating with asset owners to set up dedicated venues for sepak takraw, while also urging the private sector to build new facilities for sports training purposes.
“PSM has requested Stadium Titiwangsa, which is not owned by the Ministry of Youth and Sports but by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, so this requires discussions with the owners as they do not provide assets for all types of sports. Combat sports are also held at Stadium Titiwangsa.
“In addition, discussions can also be held with malls which have suitable spaces for training, especially for indoor sports that only require courts,“ she said.
In a separate development, she noted that her ministry is working on a pioneer project to host a special sports festival for seniors later this year.
She added that the sports festival, to be held at Bukit Jalil, is open to seniors aged 60 and above, with NSC set to announce the specific sports to be featured soon.
