KUALA LUMPUR – The country’s new sepak takraw entity, the Malaysian Sepaktakraw Confederation (MSC), has given an assurance that they will not make drastic changes to the national team in the near future, after being confirmed yesterday as an official member of the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (Astaf).
MSC president Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman said yesterday that the decision was made so as not to affect the national squad’s preparations ahead of the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam from May 12 to 23.
“The most important thing right now for the MSC is to facilitate the national squad to compete in the SEA Games.
“We do not intend to carry out a major overhaul other than to change what has been arranged so far without discussion with our stakeholders, namely coaches and players,” he said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.
Yesterday, Astaf president Datuk Abdul Halim Kader of Singapore and secretary-general Boonchai Lorhpipat of Thailand confirmed the MSC as a new coalition member of the sport’s governing body at the Asian level, through a certificate which they both signed.
Meanwhile, Suhaili also thanked the Asian federation for having faith in the MSC to lead Malaysian sepak takraw.
He also said he will pay a courtesy call on the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), the National Sports Council and Olympic Council of Malaysia starting next week to share the mission of rejuvenating the sport.
On Thursday (March 3), the Sports Commissioner’s Office (PJS) and KBS had supported the MSC’s application to join Astaf as a member.
The sepak takraw crisis began when Astaf expelled the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) in May 2021 following then-PSM president (also Astaf deputy president) Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail’s who was “sanctioned” for sending a letter to the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on February 24 last year.
Ahmad, better known as “Tok Mat” then relinquished his post in PSM last June, followed by various efforts by PSM aimed at regaining their membership in Astaf.
However, Astaf recently confirmed that they would not accept PSM as an affiliate member.
Following that, the Sports Commissioner allowed MSC to get the trust of Astaf and the International Sepak Takraw Federation (Istaf) to be Malaysia’s representative in sepak takraw on the international stage. – Bernama, March 8, 2022
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