A dozen enthusiasts are keeping sepak takraw alive in Toulouse within the Toulouse University Club, coming straight from Southeast Asia. This demanding and spectacular discipline is gaining recognition.
Football, tennis, volleyball, kung fu… Stop hesitating and choose sepak takraw! This sport, originating from Asia, is also popular among a handful of enthusiasts in Toulouse. Integrated into TUC for four years, the Sepak Takraw Association Toulouse has been in existence for seventeen years. Earlier this month, they organized their Open, attracting players from all over Europe. A great success in this practice known for its spirit. “Everyone was happy and that’s the main thing. We are a small community and, every time there is a tournament, everyone is super cool,” summarized Louis Lépée, the club president.
Attracting New Blood
But the club would like to attract more people and promote the practice along the Garonne river. And as in all clubs, this will involve attracting the youth. “The desire to develop takraw is mainly towards the young. Our youth teams had a great time at our tournament. We see that the young people from Évry finished second in division 2, so it shows that the generational change is starting to take place. We hope this will serve as a springboard, that they bring friends too, even though we already have quite a few young people in Toulouse.”
Ten motivated youngsters already looking forward to the upcoming events! A victory for the club. “The momentum is very encouraging in Toulouse and we will continue to support these youth teams. We will try, with the Toulouse city council, to intervene in recreation centers and holiday clubs.” The club also hopes to attract adults, even though the practice may seem difficult when starting out. “It’s a bit tough at first, as you have to go through a frustrating phase of failure. Losing the ball, making bad touches. The beginner’s learning curve is really not easy. It’s a bit like playing the violin, you struggle for a year and, little by little, you start to enjoy mastering this demanding sport,” smiled the president.
Appealing to those disappointed with football, it is possible to discover the practice during several trial sessions before committing to a practice that continues to improve.
