Editing Sepak takraw (section)

==Competition==
[[File:Sepak Takraw (3828519859) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Sepak takraw competition in the [[Philippines]]]]
International play is now governed by [[International Sepaktakraw Federation|ISTAF]]. Major competitions for the sport such as the [[ISTAF SuperSeries]], the [[ISTAF World Cup]] and the [[King's Cup World Championships]] are held every year.

Sepak Takraw is now a regular sport event in the [[Asian Games]] and the [[Southeast Asian Games]], with Thailand having won the most medals for the event.<ref name=euro>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-games-asia-thailand-sepaktakraw-idUKKBN1KV0RC|title=Asian Games - Thailand teams look to continue sepaktakraw dominance|date=August 10, 2018|access-date=September 17, 2021|author=Jiraporn Kuhakan|work=[[Reuters]]|archivedate=February 5, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205072832/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-games-asia-thailand-sepaktakraw-idUKKBN1KV0RC}}</ref><ref name=derby>{{cite journal|url=https://derby.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10545/624777/Final%20accepted%20version%20Sport%20tourists%20Preferred%20Event%20Attributes%20Motives%20a%20Case%20of%20Sepak%20Takraw%20Malaysia.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|date=May 4, 2020|doi=10.1177/1096348020913091|last1=Zarei|first1=Azadeh|last2=Ramkissoon|first2=Haywantee|title=Sport tourists' preferred event attributes and motives: a case of Sepak Takraw, Malaysia|issn=1096-3480|journal= Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research|volume=45|issue=7|page=37|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20210923171538/https://derby.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10545/624777/Final%20accepted%20version%20Sport%20tourists%20Preferred%20Event%20Attributes%20Motives%20a%20Case%20of%20Sepak%20Takraw%20Malaysia.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|archivedate=September 23, 2021|hdl=10545/624777|s2cid=219021269|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

===Asian Games===
{{main|Sepak takraw at the Asian Games}}
Sepak Takraw has been a sport at the Asian Games since [[Sepak takraw at the 1990 Asian Games|1990]] with Thailand securing the highest number of gold medals.

===Canada===
The [[Lao people]] first brought Sepak Takraw into Canada when they immigrated as refugees in the 1970s. But the game began gaining exposure outside the Laotian communities when a Saskatchewan teacher, Richard (Rick) Engel, who was introduced to Sepak Takraw while living in Asia, included it in Asian Sport, Education & Culture (ASEC) International's School Presentation Program. Sepak Takraw was so well received by schools that it became part of ASEC's mandate to help introduce, promote and organize the sport across the country. In May 1998, after introducing many schools to the sport, and in concert with experienced players, ASEC International organised the first Canadian inter-provincial tournament with men's, boys' and girls' teams. By the end of 1998, Engel was sent to Bangkok, Thailand to film at the 14th King's Cup Sepak Takraw World Championships – the footage of which was used to produce a widely used instructional Sepak Takraw video/DVD, called ''Sepak Takraw – Just for Kicks''.

On 11 December 1998, the Sepak Takraw Association of Canada (STAC)<ref>[http://takrawcanada.com/?q=node/32 Sepak Takraw Association of Canada (STAC)]</ref> was incorporated to organise and govern the sport nationally. Its office was set up in [[Regina, Saskatchewan]], where there were experienced players and organizational support, sharing resources and office space of the already established ASEC International, a committee which has now become Sepak Takraw Saskatchewan Inc.<ref>[http://www.sepaktakrawsask.com/ Sepak Takraw Saskatchewan Inc.]</ref> The first annual Canadian Open Sepak Takraw Championships (a national and international tournament event) were held in May 1999 in Regina, and have over the years attracted teams from across Canada, the United States, Japan, Malaysia and China. That same year Canada also attended its first International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) Congress and was accepted as member of ISTAF. In 2000, Rick Engel, Perry Senko and Brydon Blacklaws played for Team Canada and earned a silver medal in the entry level division of the King's Cup World Sepak Takraw Championships in Thailand. Another major milestone was achieved on 3 December 2000, when STAC and the sport of Sepak Takraw became an official class E Member of the [[Canadian Olympic Committee]].

Canada has since contributed much to the development of Sepak Takraw worldwide, with Engel authoring three instructional books<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://takrawcanada.com/?q=node/15#block-block-3|title=Sepak Takraw Books & DVD's}}</ref> and helping produce five DVDs about the sport, while STAC did the publishing. The most notable of these books is ''Sepak Takraw 101 - The Complete Coaching/Instructional Manual for Sepak Takraw (Kick Volleyball)'', the third edition of which has also been translated into Indonesian and published in Indonesia through a government education project. Engel has since introduced the sport and conducted Sepak Takraw skills clinics in schools and sessions at physical education teachers' conferences all over Canada, the US and Europe.

===Japan===
A Japanese team played at the [[1990 Asian Games]] in Beijing. While as of 2010 there are no professional teams in Japan, university-level teams have been established at [[Asia University (Japan)|Asia University]], [[Chiba University]], [[Keio University]], and [[Waseda University]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://metropolis.co.jp/arts/sport/sepak-takraw/|title=Sepak Takraw: By veronica lodge|date=4 February 2010|magazine=[[Metropolis (free magazine)|Metropolis Magazine]]|access-date=4 February 2010|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115065439/http://metropolis.co.jp/arts/sport/sepak-takraw/|archive-date=15 January 2011}}</ref>

===Philippines===
Sepak Takraw is also known as "Sipa" in the Philippines. The Philippine Sepak Takraw team competes internationally. Among veteran players still in the lineup are Jason Huerta, Reyjay Ortuste, Mark Joseph Gonzales, Josefina Maat, Des Oltor, Ronsted Cabayeron and Sara Catain.

===United States===
The earliest accounts of organized Takraw in the United States involve a group of students from [[Northrop University]] (Greg St. Pierre, Thomas Gong, Joel "big bird" Nelson, and Mark Kimitsuka) in 1986 in Inglewood, California, learning about and playing the sport in Los Angeles. In the early 80s, Southeast Asians held soccer tournaments with Takraw events in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and California, especially within the Lao, Hmong and Thai communities.<ref>The Log, Northrop University Student Newspaper, 5 November 1987, Vol 35, No. 3.</ref> Malaysian students attending the university often enjoyed playing the sport on a court atop the dormitory cafeteria. They taught a handful of curious American students how to play, which in turn inspired [[Malaysia Airlines]] to sponsor a US team from the university to attend the National Tournament in Kuala Lumpur in November 1987. The Northrop team played in a bracket of international new teams with Korea, Sri Lanka, and Australia. The US team beat Sri Lanka and Australia to bring home the gold.<ref>Northrop University Magazine, December 1987, Vol 3, No. 4.</ref>

The Los Angeles Asian community and Northrop's team had already established a Takraw community in and around the city. Kurt Sonderegger moved to Los Angeles, founded the United States Takraw Association, and started a business that sold plastic Takraw balls. In 1989, he was sent an invitation from the International Sepaktakraw Federation, and along with a few of the Northrop group, travelled to represent the United States in the World Championships.

The team was well beaten but the Takraw world celebrated the participation of non-Asian teams in the World Championships.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005482/index.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628152213/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005482/index.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=28 June 2010 | work=CNN | title=Video | date=8 August 1994}}</ref>