Manila hosts Asian sepaktakraw tournament
PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio is thrilled to roll out the red carpet for the ASTAF U19 Asian Sepaktakraw Championship 2026.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PSC
The Philippines will host the inaugural ASTAF U19 Asian Sepaktakraw Championship 2026, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and hosted by the Pilipinas Sepaktakraw Association Inc. (PSTAI), from 26 to 30 November at the Rizal Memorial Sports Coliseum and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Organized under the auspices of the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF), the event will mark ASTAF’s first Asian youth championship and the Philippines’ first time hosting it.
So far, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have confirmed their participation, with the final field expected to reach 15 countries.
The competition will take place on two courts at the Rizal Memorial Sports Coliseum and an auxiliary court at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The latter venue will also house two training courts. The championship aims to provide young athletes with an international platform while supporting sepak takraw’s continued development across Asia.
According to Muhammad Fariq Abdul Halim, technical delegate of the championship and deputy president of the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF), the inaugural ASTAF U19 Asian Sepaktakraw Championship 2026 represents an important investment in the future of the sport across Asia.
“For many years, our international competitions have largely focused on senior national teams,” he said.