SINGAPORE: The Republic's sepak takraw team had a rough start as
it chalked up the lowest number of points at the 28th SEA Games
Chinlone (Linking) segment on Saturday (Jun 6).
Scoring just 112 points in its first sepak takraw match,
Singapore's team won a joint-bronze with the Malaysia team - which
scored 208 points.
Cambodia, which advanced into finals with Laos, defeated the latter
with 308 points. Laos came in second, scoring 299 points.
Singapore's six-man team may have failed to advance into the
finals, but it would not go home empty-handed as the Asian Chinlone
Federation rules that the third and fourth place would always be
awarded a joint medal.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia after the match, the Singapore
chinlone team manager Mohd Nasri Haron said that the players are
essentially sepak takraw players, not chinlone players.
"Chinlone is not as easy as it looks. It takes other countries
years to master it. For us, it is the second time we are competing
in this sport at the SEA Games," he said.
He added that as sepak takraw players, the boys lack the skill set
and speed needed to excel in the sport. The Burmese sport, which
was first introduced in the 27th SEA Games held in Myanmar,
involves a team of six players passing a traditional rattan weaved
back and forth using every part of the body except the hands.
In addition, a team is awarded only when the ball has been
successfully passed through all team members. Each match
consists of two sets of 10 minutes each.
"To us, we know the basic steps like the inside kick. But to
perfect the last three steps - kicking with the heel, sole and
making an outside step is the hardest for us," said the team's
19-year-old player Muhammad Iqmal.
Another player, Mohamed Elhazeep Ul Haq added: "Chinlone is
different from sepak takraw because it requires you to complete as
many sets as you can within a stipulated time."
"We don't have the set of skills on how to complete all the steps
at one go. We are trying to take idea from the other countries -
hopefully we can be more competitive in future events."
In 2013, Singapore also won a joint-bronze with Malaysia in the
non-repetition primary level segment.
The team will compete again in the chinlone-non-repetition
(Secondary) segment on Saturday, 6pm. Singapore's men’s team will
also go head-to-head with Indonesia and Thailand on Monday (Jun
8).
- CNA/ec
