Sepak Takraw League
The Sepak Takraw League, often referred as STL, is a Malaysian men's professional league for sepak takraw, a sport native to Southeast Asia. The competition was established in 2014 by Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (STAM) (Bahasa Melayu: Persatuan Sepaktakraw Malaysia (PSM)) and Astro Group’s subsidiary, Asia Sports Ventures, to develop the sport and groom players for the Malaysia men's national sepak takraw team. Since 2016, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between a top division called STL Premier and a second division called STL Division 1. A cup competition called STL Champions Cup was introduced in 2017, featuring the top teams from STL Premier and STL Division 1 as well as invitational sides from around Asia. All competitions under the league use the official International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) rules and regulation.
| Sport | Sepak takraw |
|---|---|
| Founded | 7 November 2014 |
| No. of teams | 10 (2023) |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Perak Bison (2023) |
| Most titles | Penang Black Panthers (3) |
Since 2018, it has been administered by PSM and Astro Group under a different subsidiary, Astro Arena.
History
Origins
Malaysian sepak takraw was on the decline due to a talent pool shortage in the 2010s, with only 29 players available for national team selection at one point.[1] A professional sepak takraw league was mooted in 2013 after Astro and UFA Sports Asia launched Singapore-based Asia Sports Ventures to undertake the development and global commercialisation of sepak takraw.[2] Numerous discussions were held involving stakeholders to form a league similar to the Takraw Thailand League (TTL), which has been running since 2002.[3] STL was officially launched by then Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin and STAM president Ahmad Ismail in Putrajaya on 7 November 2014.[4]
Foundation year
In its first season, 128 teams from seven zones in Peninsular Malaysia such as Perak participated in preliminary rounds to qualify for the main competition. The best 16 teams were drawn into four groups, with the top two teams of each group progressing to the knockout stage. Hanelang A were the inaugural STL champions after beating PDRM D in the Grand Final on 18 January 2015 and took home a grand prize of RM20,000.[5]
Professional era
The competition immediately entered its professional era the following season as teams were consolidated and narrowed down to eight teams.[6] After the 2015 season, in which ATM became its first professional-era champions, it underwent another major revamp by introducing a promotion and relegation system.[7] The new format was well-received, with the viewership of STL hitting a new record of 5.6 million viewers in the 2016 season, improving from 4.8 million viewers a year earlier.[8] STL Champions Cup was created the following year to promote the league outside Malaysia.
In 2018, STL played a huge role in helping Malaysia win a gold medal in sepak takraw at the Asian Games for the first time in 24 years,[9] as the five players involved were from the league: Farhan Adam, Zulkifli Abdul Razak, Syahir Rosdi, Azlan Alias and Norhafizi Abdul Razak.[10]
In 2019, the league was officially broadcast outside of Malaysia for the first time when Indonesian broadcaster TVRI covered STL Champions Cup.[11]
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the 2020 movement control order, the league was affected[12] and three teams based in East Malaysia, namely Sabah Mountaineers, Sarawak Hunter and Labuan Drillers, did not participate in the 2020 season. Plans to hold the league around the country were also shelved with all STL Premier and STL Division 1 matches taking place at Titiwangsa Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, with no crowd in attendance. The season began in September 2020 but was halted indefinitely a month later, first due to players and team officials coming into close contact with a person tested positive for COVID-19[13] and then due to a new movement control order imposed in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.[14] The season resumed again in December and concluded with the Kuala Lumpur Thunder winning their maiden STL Premier title.[15] The Kuala Lumpur side then became only the second team to do a double by winning the STL Champions Cup.[16]
Competition format
Regular season
There are currently 10 clubs in STL Premier. During the course of a season, the clubs play each other twice (a double round-robin system) for 18 games. The teams receive two points for a win and zero points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then set difference and then point difference. As of the 2020 season, the top six teams qualify for STL Champions Cup. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to STL Division 1, and the top two teams from STL Division 1 are promoted in their place.
For STL Division 1, there are currently eight clubs, who play each other once (a round-robin system). Starting with the 2020 season, teams are divided into two groups with the top two of each group progress to a promotion playoff stage. Since 2020, the two teams that reach the promotion playoff final are promoted to STL Premier and qualify for STL Champions Cup.
STL Champions Cup
Since its inception in 2017, the top teams from STL Premier and STL Division 1 as well as several foreign teams compete in this post-season tournament. However, there were no foreign teams in 2018 for unknown reasons. The 2020 tournament was held without any foreign team for the second team, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sponsorship
| Season | Title Sponsor | Official Sponsors/Partners |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | — | |
| 2016[18] | Budi Group, Dashing, Ekspres Perdana,[19] iBookCourt, Marathon,
Minamax Construction, National Education Savings Scheme, Sinar, Sports Arena Sentosa, Spritzer, Subang Jaya City Council | |
| 2017 | Cactus, FBT, Innate Energy, iSooka, Sinar | |
| 2018 | Era, FBT, Gegar, Sinar, Twitter[20] | |
| 2019[21] | Gegar, Gem In Mall,[22] Jazz Hotel, Li-Ning, M Roof Hotel & Residences,
Nokia, Sinar Harian, Syok, Zayan | |
| 2020 | Idemitsu,[23] Li-Ning,[24] Sinar Harian | |
| 2021/ 2022[25][17] | Kedai Emas Anuar | Utusan Malaysia, BP Healthcare, Li-Ning, Idemitsu |
| 2022/ 2023 | Li-Ning, Idemitsu, Zayan, Sinar |
Champions
STL (Amateur Era)
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hanelang A | PDRM D |
STL Premier
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ATM Guardians | Penang Black Panthers |
| 2016 | Penang Black Panthers | Kuala Lumpur Thunder |
| 2017 | Penang Black Panthers | Kuala Lumpur Thunder |
| 2018 | Penang Black Panthers | ATM Guardians |
| 2019 | Perak Bison | ATM Guardians |
| 2020 | Kuala Lumpur Thunder | ATM Guardians |
| 2021/22 | ATM Guardians | Kuala Lumpur Thunder |
| 2023 | Perak Bison | Kuala Lumpur Thunder |
STL Division 1
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Perak Bison | PSM Mavericks* |
| 2017 | Melaka Titans | PDRM Defenders |
| 2018 | Negeri Sembilan Antlers | Sabah Mountaineers |
| 2019 | Selangor Pistons | Pahang Mammoth |
| 2020 | Bomba Fighters | Putrajaya Cyborg |
| 2021/22 | Melaka Titans | KPT-Masum Knights |
| 2023 | PDRM Defenders | Terengganu Turtles |
*Selangor Pistons were promoted instead of PSM Mavericks (then known as PSM A)
STL Champions Cup
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Penang Black Panthers | Perak Bison |
| 2018 | Penang Black Panthers | ATM Guardians |
| 2019 | Johor Tigris | Penang Black Panthers |
| 2020 | Kuala Lumpur Thunder | Penang Black Panthers |
| 2021/22 | Kuala Lumpur Thunder | Johor Tigris |
| 2023 | Negeri Sembilan Antlers | Perak Bison |
Clubs
Current
| Club | Current division in 2021/22 |
First season in STL Premier |
First season of current spell in STL Premier |
Total seasons in STL Premier |
Best result in STL Premier |
STL Champions Cup
appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATM Guardians | Premier | 2015 | 2015 | 6 | Champions (2015, 2021/22) | 3 (2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Johor Tigris | Premier | 2015 | 2015 | 6 | 3rd (2019, 2020) | 3 (2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Kelantan Warriors | Premier | 2015 | 2015 | 6 | 4th (2015, 2017) | 4 (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Kuala Lumpur Thunder | Premier | 2015 | 2015 | 6 | Champions (2020) | 3 (2017, 2018, 2020) |
| Penang Black Panthers | Premier | 2015 | 2015 | 6 | Champions (2016, 2017, 2018) | 4 (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Perak Bison | Premier | 2017 | 2017 | 4 | Champions (2019) | 3 (2017, 2018, 2019) |
| PDRM Defenders | Division 1 | 2018 | - | 3 | 7th (2018) | 1 (2017) |
| Selangor Pistons | Premier | 2017 | 2020 | 3 | 7th (2017, 2020) | - |
| Negeri Sembilan Antlers | Premier | 2019 | 2019 | 2 | 4th (2020) | 3 (2018, 2019, 2020) |
| Pahang Mammoth | Division 1 | 2020 | - | 1 | 9th (2020) | - |
| Putrajaya Cyborg | Premier | 2021 | 2021 | 1 | - | 1 (2020) |
| Bomba Fighters | Premier | 2021 | 2021 | 1 | - | 1 (2020) |
| Terengganu Turtles | Division 1 | 2015 | - | 5 | 2nd (2016) | - |
| Melaka Titans | Division 1 | 2015 | - | 3 | 7th (2015) | 1 (2017) |
| Kedah Eagles | Division 1 | 2015 | - | 2 | 7th (2016) | - |
| MASUM-UPM Knights | Division 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Perlis Vipers | Division 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| PSM Mavericks | Division 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
*As of the 2021 season
Former
| Club | First Season | Final Season | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabah Mountaineers | 2016 | 2019 | Pulled out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. |
| Sarawak Hunter | 2016 | 2019 | Pulled out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. |
| PSM Drillers | 2016 | 2019 | Did not compete in the 2018 season. |
| Labuan Drillers | 2016 | 2018 | Did not compete in the 2019 season. Pulled out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. |
Name changes
| Club | Former Name |
|---|---|
| ATM Guardians | ATM |
| Johor Tigris | Southern Tigris |
| Kedah Eagles | Northern Rangers |
| Kelantan Warriors | Gomo Warriors |
| Kuala Lumpur Thunder | City Flyers |
| Melaka Titans | Green Titans |
| Penang Black Panthers | Black Panthers |
| Perak Bison | Perak The Bos Gaurus |
| PDRM Defenders | PDRM |
| PSM Mavericks | PSM A |
| PSM Drillers | PSM B |
| Terengganu Turtles | East Coast Surfers |
International clubs
| Club | Country | Season | Best performance in STL Champions Cup |
Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manang City Voyagers | Thailand | 2017 | 3rd | |
| Andalas Islanders | Indonesia | 2017 | Group stage | |
| Korea Haechi | South Korea | 2019 | 4th | |
| China Great Wall | China | 2019 | Group stage | |
| Indonesia Garuda | Indonesia | 2019 | Group stage | |
| Singapore Lions | Singapore | 2019 | Group stage |
Awards
STL Premier
| Season | Most Valuable Player | Best Tekong | Best Striker | Best Feeder | Best Foreign Player | Best Coach | Best Manager | Best Referee | Fair Play Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015[26] | - | Tunku Noor Azwari Tunku Ishak (ATM) | Wan Anas Muhaimi Wan Asri (Penang) | Farhan Adam (Kelantan) | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2016[18] | Syahir Rosdi (Penang) | Syahir Rosdi (Penang) | Afifuddin Razali (ATM) | Amirul Zazwan Amir (Kuala Lumpur) | - | - | - | - | ATM |
| 2017[27] | Syahir Rosdi (Penang) | Syahir Rosdi (Penang) | Ahmad Fadzil Mustafa (Perak) | Aidil Aiman Azwawi (Kelantan) | - | Sufian Napiah (Penang) | - | - | - |
| 2018[28] | Azlan Alias (Penang) | Hairul Hazizi (ATM) | Azlan Alias (Penang) | Farhan Adam (Selangor) | - | Aswadi Abdullah (ATM) | DSP Zakaria (PDRM) | - | Terengganu |
| 2019[29] | Azlan Alias (Penang) | Ahmad Aizat Nor Azmi (Kuala Lumpur) | Azlan Alias (Penang) | Aidil Aiman Azwawi (Kelantan) | Apirak Promanee (Kelantan) | Aswadi Abdullah (ATM) | Major Tajul Hisyam Mamat (ATM) | Ariffin Ahmad Rahim | Negeri Sembilan |
| 2020 | Amirul Zazwan Amir (Kuala Lumpur) | Syahir Rosdi (Kuala Lumpur) | Hafizul Hayazi Adnan (Negeri Sembilan) | Amirul Zazwan Amir (Kuala Lumpur) | - | Ahmad Supian Napiah (Penang) | Zambri Abdul Rahman (Kuala Lumpur) | Dr. Che Aziz Yaacob | ATM |
STL Division 1
| Season | Best Tekong | Best Striker | Best Feeder | Best Coach | Best Manager | Fair Play Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016[18] | Meor Ahmad Zulfikar
Mat Amin (Perak) |
Fadzil Mustafa
(Perak) |
Safarudin Abu
Bakar (PSM A) |
- | - | Perak |
| 2017[30][31] | Sahidan Ali
(Melaka) |
Hafiz Izudin
Wahab (PDRM) |
Adli Abu Bakar
(Pahang) |
Khairul Anuar
Ibrahim (Melaka) |
- | - |
| 2018[32] | Izwan Zukri
(Sabah) |
Khairol Zaman
Hamir Akhbar (Negeri Sembilan) |
Fakhrul Razi
Ismail (Pahang) |
Isa Sidek
(Negeri Sembilan) |
Azam Yaakob
(Pahang) |
- |
| 2019[33] | Adam Aiman
Zainol (Putrajaya) |
Muslim Mohammad
(Putrajaya) |
Farhan Adam
(Selangor) |
Khairul Bahrin
Abdul Rahman (Putrajaya) |
Yusof Mohamed
(Pahang) |
- |
| 2020 | Irsyad Faiz
Aziz (Bomba) |
Fadzil Baharudin
(Putrajaya) |
Amir Aizad
(MASUM-UPM) |
Ahmad Zain
(Bomba) |
Ridzuan Ahmad
(Melaka) |
- |
STL Champions Cup
| Season | Most Valuable Player | Best Tekong | Best Striker | Best Feeder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017[34] | Syahir Rosdi
(Penang) |
Syahir Rosdi
(Penang) |
Fadzil Mustafa
(Perak) |
Farhan Adam
(Penang) |
| 2018[35] | Syahir Rosdi
(Penang) |
Syahir Rosdi
(Penang) |
Hafizul Hayazi
(Negeri Sembilan) |
Aidil Aiman
(Kelantan) |
| 2019[36] | Noraizat Nordin
(Johor) |
Lim Tae-gyun
(Korea) |
Noraizat Nordin
(Johor) |
Farhan Adam
(Penang) |
| 2020 | Amirul Zazwan Amir (Kuala Lumpur) | Hairul Hazizi (ATM) | Shahalril Aiman (Penang) | Amirul Zazwan Amir (Kuala Lumpur) |
Media coverage
| Broadcaster | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Astro Arena (Malaysia) | 2014-current | |
| TVRI (Indonesia) | 2019 and 2023 until present | STL Champions Cup only in 2019[11] |
| ELEVENSPORTS.com | 2022 | Available in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong.[37] |
References
- "Other Sport: Takraw: Malaysia's sliding into mediocrity | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Astro-ufa Sports joint venture a boost for sepaktakraw". The Borneo Post. 27 June 2013. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2023 – via PressReader.
- "Takrawesome | Takraw Thailand League Explained!". Takrawesome. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Liga Sepak Takraw Mampu Lahir Ramai Pemain Pelapis - Khairy - Sukan | mStar". www.mstar.com.my. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Sepak takraw: Hanelang juara edisi sulung STL". BH Online (in Malay). 19 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- amin. "SepakTakraw League (STL 2015) | Jadual dan Keputusan". SANoktah. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Liga Sepak Takraw 2016 guna format baharu". BH Online (in Malay). 15 June 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "(SUKAN) Ledakan STL 2017 Dijangka Lebih Panas | Galaksi Media". Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Asian Games: Malaysia wins first sepak takraw gold in 24 years". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "From Asian Games to STL: Meet the boys who made Malaysia proud | SEPAK-TAKRAW News | Stadium Astro". www.stadiumastro.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Jadwal Siaran Live TVRI Sepak Takraw League Champions Cup 2019". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Alagesh, T. N. (2 July 2020). "Football, sepak takraw competitions to resume soon, says sports minister | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Coronavirus: Sepak Takraw League postponed due to COVID-19 | SEPAK-TAKRAW News | Stadium Astro". www.stadiumastro.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- "Non-contact sports, athletics training permitted under CMCO". The Edge Markets. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ZAINI, SHAHRIZAL AHMAD (31 December 2020). "KL Thunder juara STL 2020". Sinarharian (in Malay). Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- "Piala Juara-Juara STL: Pengalaman jadi bekalan KL Thunder bergelar juara | SEPAK TAKRAW News | Stadium Astro". www.stadiumastro.com. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- "Sepak Takraw League welcomes Kedai Emas Anuar as first Title Sponsor for the upcoming 2021/22 Season". Astro. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- "Persatuan Sepaktakraw Malaysia - PSM". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Stadium Astro". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Twitter and Astro to collaborate on Sepaktakraw League 2018 Digital Content | Press Release | Mediaroom | Astro". www.astro.com.my. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Catch the most exciting moments of STL 2019 LIVE at selected venues throughout Malaysia". The Independent. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "STL: Gem In Mall Cyberjaya jadi venue pilihan | SEPAK TAKRAW LEAGUE News | Stadium Astro". www.stadiumastro.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Idemitsu sponsors Sepak Takraw League and ATM Guardians | SEPAK-TAKRAW News | Stadium Astro". www.stadiumastro.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Guan, Kng Zheng (29 August 2020). "Li Ning to extend STL sponsorship | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Lee, Seng Foo (12 December 2021). "Kedai Emas Anuar announced as Sepak Takraw League title sponsor | Stadium Astro". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- "Sepaktakraw Psm". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Ali, Mohd Badlishah (20 November 2017). "Penang Black Panthers gah gondol empat trofi STL". BH Online (in Malay). Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Sports247 (19 November 2017). "Melaka Titans juara Divisyen Satu STL". Sports247. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Sports247 (26 November 2018). "STL 2018: Negeri Sembilan Antlers muncul juara STL Divisyen Satu". Sports247. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "SepakTakraw League". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Lee, Seng Foo (5 January 2022). "Sepak Takraw League to be broadcast live in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
External links
- Official website (in Bahasa Melayu)