Our Correspondent
Karachi
When Nomination was closed for the upcoming Asian Sepaktakraw
Federation (ASTAF) election scheduled on 1 March 2021, Dato’ Abdul Halim Kader will face contest for the President’s post. This will be the first time he will be challenged since elected as President of ASTAF in 2004 after General Charouck Arrichakaran handed over the baton to him with 100% supports from 16 Asian Sepaktakraw members. The two other nominations for the President’s post are Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail, President of Malaysia Sepaktakraw Association (PSM) and Nazri Harun, President of Singapore Sepaktakraw Federation (PERSES).
Halim is nonchalant about the contest and prefers to remain focus with his ongoing passion to promote Sepaktakraw and expand further the Asian member countries. To date after 17 years as President of ASTAF, Halim and his team managed to form 18 new member countries (7 countries as full members of ASTAF from Middle East to East Asia including Macau, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and 11 other playing countries. Now ASTAF has 25 full members and Halim is working hard to expand further to include other Asian countries.
Halim is also working actively to bring Sepaktakraw to be a recognized Sports with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He is confident to achieve this during the next ASTAF term for 2021 to 2025. To this end, his biggest success was to make Sepaktakraw to be accepted by IOC TV channel together with five other international sports. Halim also achieved good testimony for Sepaktakraw being recognized by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and ASTAF must continue to work closely with OCA and respect its regulation.
Halim believes in strong teamwork which he has built within ASTAF over the last 17 years. Just like how he had been given the trust by General Charouck to lead and grow ASTAF, he is a firm believer to continue this tradition with grooming the next generation of leaders to expand ASTAF further. He is confident to receive the support from ASTAF member countries in this upcoming election.
ASTAF is glad to inform that with the support of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Sepaktakraw will be in the upcoming Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand in 2022 and Asian Games in 2022 Hangzhou,China,
2026 Nagoya-Japan, 2030 Doha ,Qatar and follow by 2034 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan Sepaktakraw Federation had nominate Noushad Ahmed Khan to be the candidate as Vice President ASTAF for four years from 2021 to 2025. I am confidence the Pakistan candidate Noushad Ahmed Khan will be elected with the support of ASTAF country members.
