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India Revvs Up For 1st Sepaktakraw World Meet In Malaysia

By P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, June 19 (Bernama) -- After a sparkling success in the last Sepaktakraw World Championships, India declared that it was ready to face Asian giants in the 1st ISTAF World Cup in Malaysia next month.

The Sepaktakraw Federation of India (STFI) had gone on high gear, conducting special training for coaches and players to groom them for the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) World Cup.

"We are confident of doing better in Malaysia and improve our rankings this year and also qualify for the super series.

"It will be a tough competition because several top sepaktakraw playing nations like Thailand and Malaysia will be there, but we have been preparing since 2010," Dr R.S. Dagar, STFI president told Bernama.

The world championship that will feature 24 men's and 12 women's teams and US$50,000 (RM150,000) in prize money, will be held at the Taman Tasik Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur from July 21 to 24.

At the 24th Sepaktakraw World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009, India's men's team won a gold medal in the double regu category, sliver in team regu and a bronze in the individual regu while the women's team bagged three bronze medals in similar categories in Bangkok.

A total of 10 Indian players, both men and women, would leave to Kuala Lumpur from Kolkata on 19th July after completing their on going training camp in Imphal, in Manipur, India's north eastern state.

ISTAF super series kicks off this September in Thailand and Malaysia will host it in December, Vietnam (February, 2012), Iran (April) and China (June).

-- BERNAMA

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