After a successful inaugural tournament, next year’s edition of the Htoo Htoo Sepak Takraw Tournament of Champions should be even bigger and better.
“We just wanted people to come out and see the sport,” said Margaret Kunst, the operations director for the PuCKS (Promoting Community through Kids in Sport) program, which put on the tournament, along with help from the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Trinity Western University.
Takraw, or cane ball, is a combination of volleyball and soccer and is very popular with the Karen community in Langley.
The tournament was on honour of a little girl, Htoo K’Bru Paw, who passed away last month.
Ten teams and 45 players were at Trinity Western University on Saturday for the friendly tournament. The teams were from Langley, Surrey and Vancouver, but Kunst said next year’s event will be bigger, with invitations extended to the Karen communities in Regina, Calgary and Edmonton.
Saturday’s tournament was also made possible thanks to a $1,000 donation from a man who lived in the same Douglas Park apartment building as many of the Karen community. Back in December, the man’s key snapped off in the door the building, and some of the Karen youth, helped the man get inside. They would not accept the $20 he offered them, so the man went to St. Joseph’s Church, which has helped the Karen community, and gave $1,000.
“He wanted it used towards something for these youth that they could benefit from,” Kunst said. “This man was not a rich man and he wanted to remain anonymous, but was determined the kids would be thanked in this way.”
The church got in touch with Kunst and the funds were used to help put on the event.
