MSC’s Astaf membership application gets Sports Commissioner, KBS support

KUALA LUMPUR – The Sports Commissioner and the Youth and Sports Ministry support the application of the Malaysian Sepaktakraw Confederation (MSC) to become an affiliate member of the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (Astaf).

This development was confirmed by Astaf president Abdul Halim Kader at a joint meeting of its executive committee which was held online yesterday after the body received copies of the support letter from the two entities.

“Astaf was informed by MSC that Sports Commissioner Ibrahim Mohd Yusof, apart from expressing support for MSC in a letter dated February 28, 2022, does not have any objection to MSC’s application to become an affiliate member of the Federation.

“He (Ibrahim) also does not object to MSC’s application to serve as the main body administering sepak takraw in Malaysia to develop the sport,” he said in a statement issued by Astaf today.

Halim, who is also International Sepaktakraw Federation (Istaf) secretary-general, said the endorsement of authorities like the Sports Commissioner would strengthen MSC’s chances of joining Astaf soon.

“It would not be far-fetched for me to say MSC seems to have one foot in the Astaf house already,” he said.

However, Halim declined to comment on the status of another body, the Malaysian Sepaktakraw Federation (PSM), which tried to rejoin Astaf last week.

Malaysian sepak takraw plunged into a crisis after Astaf removed PSM in May 2021, following the action of its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail, in his capacity as Astaf deputy president, in sending a letter to the Olympic Council of Asia and International Olympic Committee on February 24 last year.

Ahmad, better known as Tok Mat, then relinquished his post in PSM in June last year, followed by various efforts by PSM aimed at regaining its membership in Astaf.

However, Astaf early this month confirmed that it would not accept PSM as an affiliate member.

Following that, the Sports Commissioner allowed MSC to get the trust of Astaf and Istaf to be Malaysia’s representative in sepak takraw on the international stage. – Bernama, March 4, 2022