An international sepak takraw tournament, the Vietnam Open, kicked off in the central province of Thanh Hoa on October 2.

130 players from China , Japan , Laos , Malaysia , Thailand and Vietnam have been participating in the competition.

Apart from the national team, three teams from Hanoi , Thanh Hoa and Quang Ninh are also present.

Sepak takraw, a popular sport in southeast Asia, uses a hollow ball, traditionally made of rattan, which is passed over a net by opposing players, without the use of the hands and arms.

The players will compete in the men’s and women’s team and doubles events. The competition will last till October 7./.