A group of friends join in on a game of Sepak Tekraw in Rosthern. (Teena Monteleone/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

Growing sport

Thai refugees in Rosthern spark interest in sport of Sepak Takraw

May 1, 2025 | 5:00 PM

With agile moves known as the horse kick serve, sunback spike, and roll spike, Sepak Takraw is certainly a sport that makes those passing by slow down to watch.

It’s not quite volleyball or badminton and not really like soccer, but it does include elements of all those games.

“It’s still a pretty new sport to the area so we’re trying to hopefully get other people and other cultures to play and then it’ll be a lot of fun,” said Jan Lart, who was among a group of friends playing in a Rosthern park Wednesday night.

The sport, also known as foot volleyball, is native to Southeast Asia. Its history traces back to the 1940s and it’s enormously popular in places like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

It’s played with a ball made of rattan between two teams on a court resembling a badminton court. Players can only use their feet, knees, shoulders, chest and head to touch the ball a maximum of three times before it has to cross over the net.

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Lart and his friends are originally from Burma but moved to Rosthern from a refugee camp in Thailand several years ago.

“We played this when we were in the refugee camp. It’s pretty popular in Thailand, everybody plays it. They pretty much win every World Cup for it.”

Lart said that playing is a way for them to honour their cultural heritage and promote a sport that they hope will gain a better foothold in Saskatchewan.

“There’s no official league, but every summer we have a tournament with teams from all over the country, so we will host one in Rosthern, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton and even in Ontario.”

There is a Sepak Takraw Association of Canada that has been in existence for a number of years. While the acrobatic sport can look intimidating at first, the association website said the moves can be modified for beginners or those not quite ready to try their luck at moves similar to a bicycle kick.

The site offers tutorials and contact information for clubs, but Lart encouraged anyone who sees the sport being played to join it.

“I think it’s a fun sport and if you want to play, they can come and play with us any time they want to.”

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panews@pattisonmedia.com