Sepaktakraw quadrant team win final group game but fail to advance
Published: 03 Oct. 2023, 11:42
Updated: 03 Oct. 2023, 11:45
-
- JIM BULLEY
- jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr
The Korean men’s sepaktakraw quadrant team finished their Hangzhou Asian Games campaign on a high note on Tuesday, beating India 2-1 in their last group stage game but falling short of a spot in the knockout stage.
The Korean team of Jeong Ha-sung, Lee Jun-uk, Jeong Won-deok and Lee Woo-jin won their opening set 21-16 before the score was flipped exactly for an India win in the second set.
Korea, led by captain Jeong Won-deok, fought back in the third set —also 21-16 — to take a 2-1 win and finish in third place in Group B.
Korea finished the group stage with two wins and two losses, falling short of Japan and the Philippines in the top two spots with three wins apiece. In sepaktakraw quadrant, the top two teams advance straight to the quarterfinals.
Sepaktakraw is a sport with origins in Southeast Asia. “Sepak” translates to “kick” in Malay, and “tekraw” is the Thai word for the woven rattan ball used in play on a badminton-size court.
The rules are similar to volleyball where the goal is to get the ball over the court in three touches or less, and the team wins a point when their opponents fail to return the rally. But players are barred from using their hands, instead blocking the ball with their heads and their feet.
In quadrant, four players take either side of the court — marking a key difference from the traditional “regu” style, which has three players on either side. This is the second Asian Games to include quadrant as a medal contest after the category made its debut in 2018, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Korea has one more shot at a sepaktakraw medal when the women’s regu contest kicks off Thursday.
BY JIM BULLEY AND MARY YANG [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)