My father played Sepak Raga during his young days. Sepak Raga is a Malay traditional game played with a rattan ball. It could be played in a circle of three or more persons, passing the rattan ball using the legs. The rattan ball is bounced on the inner side of the ankle with the leg bended before the ball is passed to another person positioned opposite. Sometimes the ball is headed among the players. This is when the game is played in non serious manner. Sepak Raga is commonly played in the 'kampongs' ( villages ) in the evenings. The young men and teenagers would gather in open spaces to play Sepak Raga. In a competition Sepak Raga is played in a team of three persons. Each team will be on either sides of the net. The court is similar to that of badminton. My father played Sepak Raga and he was good. He played 'tekong' the person standing in the middle between two players. They are positioned in a triangle with the other two players near the net. Father would 'lipat' ( kick ) the ball towards the opponent when served by his teamate. Most of his kicks would kill the opponents and collected points for the team. His kicks were strong, fast and targeted direct to the opponents. They could not returned the kicks. So fast were his kicks that Father was nicknamed ' Non Kilat', ( lightning Non ) Father's name is Zainal Abidin Mohamad Arabee. In Penang Non is shortform for Zainal. Zainal, short is Nal and with a local dialect becamed Non. Father played for the Penang Team during his good times. Later when Father joined the Navy, he was the captain for the Navy Sepak Raga team. Father was in the Penang team during the 'Piala Emas Khir Johari' tournament. The first ' Piala Emas Khir Johari ' tournament was played in Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur in the year 1962. Penang won against Singapore. Father told me that his teamates were Talib Mat Isa and another whom I cannot recall his name. I am unable to ask Father because at this very moment ( 2344 hours 10/10/2012 ), Father is recuperating in PPUKM ( Perbadanan Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ). Only hours ago Father had a major surgery. The surgery took 9 hours. Father suffered IPMN ( intraducter papillary mucinous neoplasm). Father is now 77 years old and I still remember him in his sports attire when he played with the Navy team. I was about 3 or maybe 4 years old then. Father looked handsome in his white shirt and shorts with knee high socks. My prayers Father recovers well. Father, you have many more stories to tell me. I am looking forward to those moments........
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Father receiving the tournament cup Piala Emas Khir Johari
from Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman -1962 |
