By day, they're ordinary people. On the court, they're superstars.
A new personal project by photographer/director Hubert Kang shines a spotlight on the extraordinary street athletes of Sepak Takraw, a traditional Southeast Asian sport that combines elements of football and volleyball.
Players use their feet, legs, heads and bodies to send the ball over the net, performing gravity-defying kicks and acrobatic moves that seem almost impossible.
Hubert first saw the game played in Chiang Mai and was instantly hooked. As he describes it, ordinary people seem to transform into superheroes the moment they step onto the court. The athleticism is incredible, but so is the style and ease with which they play.
Every morning, rain or shine, players of different ages, skill levels and walks of life come together at the park. They show up for the pure love of the game and the community around it. Then, as the sun gets higher, they pack up and head back to their everyday lives.
With Superstars, Hubert wanted to photograph these street athletes with the same attention and presence usually reserved for the world’s most famous players.
To Hubert, these street legends are the real sports superstars.
