The national sepak takraw team
posing for a photo prior to
their departure for the second
round of the International
Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF)
Super Series 2013 in Bangkok.
Picture: BT/ Yee Chun Leong
The national sepak takraw team are looking to move up the ranks in the second round of the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) Super Series 2013.
They finished ninth of the 12-team competition after the first leg in India just last month.
Brunei will be represented by Mohd Shukri Jaineh, Nur Alimin Sunggoh, Jatie Hidayat Saidi, and brothers Hafizuddin and Alliffuddin Jamaluddin at the Sept 26-29 event in Bangkok.
Jafar Mohd Wali, the team manager, hopes that the team will be able to produce a good showing.
"We don't know about the groupings yet but we are hoping to do well and move up the rankings. We placed ninth after the first round and we want to be higher," said Jafar in an interview with The Brunei Times before departure at the Brunei International Airport in Berakas yesterday.
"Traning has been good and this is also good preparation for the players as some of them have been shortlisted for the upcoming SEA Games (in Myanmar in December)," he added.
The trio of Mohd Shukri, Nur Alimin and Hafizuddin together with national sepak takraw coach Ittiphol Chomchaissak had stayed back in Thailand after competing in the recently concluded 28th King's Cup Sepak Takraw Championship 2013 contested at Udonthani.
They won silver in the team event of Division 1 after losing to the Philippines in the final.
The team also bagged a bronze from the hoop event.
The duo of Jatie and Alliffuddin are coming off a successful campaign at the recently concluded 5th Borneo Games in Labuan.
They were part of the team that won silver in the doubles event and gold for the regu event.
The Sultanate will also be sending two Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (ASTAF) referees Idris Hj Shahdan and Amir Hj Sawal to the event.
Present to see the team off at the airport was Brunei Darussalam Sepak Takraw Association (PESTABARU) president Pg Hj Ali Hassan Pg DSLJ Hj Abbas.
Brunei is joined by Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Brunei, the Philippines, India, United States, Myanmar and Iran in the three-leg competition.
South Korea won the first leg, beating Malaysia 3-0 in the final.
As for the women's category, eight countries Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, China and India are vying for top honours.
Thailand claimed the first leg with a 3-1 win over Indonesia 3-1 in the final.
The final leg of the Super Series will be held in Kota Kinabalu from Oct 31-Nov 3.
