From Sipa to Sepak Takraw

Long before modern courts and nets, Filipinos were already keeping a woven ball in the air.

Sipa — from the Filipino word for "kick" — is a traditional game generations of Filipinos grew up with: a rattan or washer ball kept aloft with feet, knees, and head, played in streets, schoolyards, and barangay plazas. MSTC hopes to welcome back the players who grew up with this kind of ball control.

Across Southeast Asia, that shared tradition grew into Sepak Takraw — the name joins the Malay word sepak ("kick") and the Thai word takraw ("woven ball"). Played over a net with no hands allowed, it is one of the region's most spectacular sports and a point of pride for the Philippines.

For Malitbog, the connection is natural: the footwork of sipa is the foundation of Sepak Takraw. MSTC carries that heritage onto the court — and passes it to the next generation.