#HTE

The Athletic Acrobatics of Sepak Takraw (21 photos)

The Southeast Asian game of sepak takraw, sometimes also called “chinlone” or simply “kick volleyball,” is a team sport where competitors volley a small woven ball (synthetic rubber or rattan) over a 5-foot (1.52-meter) high net, using any body part except for their arms or hands. The rules are very similar to volleyball, but the play is so much different, as players stretch and launch themselves sideways or flip upside down to kick, pass, tap, or block the ball, their legs and bodies flying up and crashing back to the court. With both Thailand’s men’s and women’s sepak takraw teams winning Gold Medals in the Indonesia Asian Games this week, it seemed like a good time to take a look at some photos of this amazing sport.