KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Iran has expressed their wish to compete at the upcoming 2026 Sepak Takraw World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium here next month despite of the current West Asian conflict.
International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Kader said the Iranian sepak takraw squad were trying to secure flight tickets to Malaysia from Turkiye.
“From Tehran, they will travel by road to Turkiye, then they will fly to Kuala Lumpur. Iran still wants to compete even though ticket prices have risen.
“We also have asked Persekutuan Sepaktakraw Malaysia (PSM) if Iran requires any assistance to get here,” he said at a media conference at the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Academy Centre today.
Iran, are among the 14 countries, including hosts Malaysia, who will compete in the premier category, with the tournament taking place from May 16 to 23, after being postponed from May 12 to 24.
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Japan, Brunei, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, China and Taiwan are the other countries competing in the premier category.
Meanwhile, PSM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan said the date of the World Cup had to be changed as there were uncertainty over the status of teams competing in Division 1, with nearly half of the 12 Division 1 teams, including those from Europe, have yet to confirm their participation due to the West Asian conflict.
“We are considering if we will continue or not, as only two countries — Pakistan and Sri Lanka — have confirmed their participation so far.
“We will conduct the draw this April 15 for the premier category and put the Division 1 on hold first. We will be forced to cancel and focus on the premier category if only two or three teams are available,” he said. — Bernama
