New Delhi: India’s preparations for ISTAF SuperSeries 2013/14 INDIA is on the right track and going great guns, so much so that captain G. Jiteshor Sharma is confident that his team will be in the finals of the international sepaktakraw tournament, held for the first time in India.
“We are working hard and determined to deliver a very good performance,” said Jiteshor, a 23-year old veteran of the 2010 Asian Games, the King’s Cup tournament in Thailand in 2010 and 2011 and the inaugural ISTAF SuperSeries 2011/12, where his team lost to Japan in the quarterfinals. “If things go according to plan, we should be in the finals, so just watch our performance!”
Jiteshor said sepaktakraw was gaining in popularity in the country, especially among the youngsters, pointing out that more teams were participating in the national championships.
The team captain’s confidence was echoed by chief coach Hemraj, who said his charges had been training in different parts of the country to not only familiarise themselves with the environment, but to popularise the sport.
Women’s captain Kh. Bijeta Chamu, making her international debut and leading a team of international first-timers, said her team would produce a good show for sepaktakraw fans.
“We are all first-timers, but nonetheless we are hoping to make the semifinals,” said the 24-year-old, whose team has been training under coach K.H. Jotim since last December
ISTAF SuperSeries 2013/14 INDIA marks the kickoff of the tournament proper. After New Delhi, ISTAF SuperSeries 2013/14 THAILAND will be contested in Bangkok from September 26-29 followed by ISTAF SuperSeries 2013/14 MALAYSIA in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from October 31 to November 3.
Defending champions Thailand will lead the challenge in the 11-team men’s competition. The other participating nations are Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Brunei, the United States, Myanmar and Iran.
The women’s competition will see seven teams contesting: Top seeds Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and India.
