PSM wants to ‘make peace’ with Astaf
KUALA LUMPUR: The new leadership of the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Federation (PSM) will continue with efforts seeking to rejoin the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (Astaf) as an affiliate, said PSM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan.
He said PSM would initiate discussions and “peace-making” moves with ASTAF, apart from applying to be its affiliate member.
“This application will take into consideration the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s (OCM) recognition of PSM as a legitimate central body for sepak takraw.
“PSM is confident that the ASTAF leadership will make a proper evaluation of PSM’s application to rejoin Astaf, to be together in developing sepak takraw in Asia,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Malaysian sepak takraw plunged into a crisis when Astaf dropped PSM in May 2021 after its then president Datuk Seri Ahmad Ismail, in his capacity as Astaf deputy president, sent a letter to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Feb 24 the same year.
Ahmad, better known as “Tok Mat”,
then resigned from his PSM post in June, followed by various efforts by the association aimed at regaining ASTAF affiliation.
However, Astaf early this month stressed that it would not accept PSM as an affiliate.
Following that, the Sports Commissioner allowed the establishment of a new body, known as the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Confederation (MSC), to get the trust of Astaf and the International Sepak Takraw Federation (Istaf) as Malaysia’s representative at the international level.
Meanwhile, Mohd Sumali said the PSM Supreme Committee meeting yesterday unanimously agreed to accept the application of the Prisons Department to be its associate member, bringing its membership to 15. The meeting also saw the appointment of the Supreme Committee members and Sub-Committee chairman who was picked by Mohd Sumali with the agreement of the Supreme Committee.