Hadi goes for a rolling spike. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Yishun Sports Hall, Saturday, June 2, 2012 — Cashew CSC Team B beat Zhenghua 15-13, 15-11 in the Community Games Sepak Takraw tournament. A win in their next game will see them qualify for Round 2 to meet the other top teams in their Cluster.
Leading the Cashew team was Muhd Hadi, 19, a student at ITE Choa Chu Kang.
“My server was nervous in the first set and so we changed him,” recalled Hadi about the game.
“I’ve been playing for three years. I just wanted to try,” said Hadi. “I play in the void deuck, with friends at Zhenghua CSC and Jalan Bahar SC. I also played for Taman Jurong CSC in the Inter-Constituency Games and came in fourth.”
The Inter-Constituency Games is the predecessor of the Community Games.
“We stay in the same area in Bukit Panjang and play behind Greenridge Shopping Centre. We are all friends. Doesn’t matter whether we are playing for Zhenghua or Chasew. We’re happy to meet friends,” said Hadi about the friendly nature of the Community Games.
Sepak Takraw is a game that needs a lot of skill, emphasised Hadi.
“It takes a while to learn. I took one year to juggle properly. I took three years to learn how to ‘libas’ (roll spike in Malay) and one and half years to learn ‘selang’,” said Hadi.
“The three strongest teams in our Cluster are Ulu Pandan, Bukit Panjang Team A and ourselves,” assessed Hadi.
Sepak Takraw is a traditional Malay sport but Hadi said anyone is welcome.
“Jia Wei is the only Chinese playing for Cashew Team C. We played soccer with him and when we changed sport to sepak takraw, he joined in. We talk in English and he knows a bit of Malay. We welcome other races to play,” said a smiling Hadi.
More photos next page
Leave A Comment