Thai sepak takraw team manager Auychai Srisuwan has criticised as “unfair” the referees’ decision during the Sepak Takraw World Championship final, which resulted in Malaysia being awarded the title by default.
The controversy erupted during the men’s team event final between Thailand and hosts Malaysia on Sunday, after Thailand walked off the court in protest over a disputed call.
The incident occurred late in the second set of the decisive Team C match. Thailand was leading 14-13 and appeared to score the winning point, which would have secured the set 15-13 and forced the contest into a third-set decider.
Singaporean referee Mohamed Radi, however, ruled that a Thai player had stepped on the centre line and disallowed the point.
Thailand then requested a video challenge, with VAR footage reportedly indicating that no foul had occurred. Many observers believed Thailand should have been awarded the point.
The situation escalated when Malaysian team officials protested, arguing that Thailand had already exhausted its challenge rights. Despite the VAR review, the referee upheld the original decision, awarded the point to Malaysia and levelled the score at 14-14.
Furious over the ruling, the Thai team walked off the court in protest and was later disqualified under tournament regulations, handing victory to Malaysia.
Speaking after the team returned to Thailand via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Auychai insisted the Thai side did not leave the court to concede defeat, but to demonstrate that they could not accept what they viewed as an unjust decision.
He argued that the Thai player’s heel did not cross the line and claimed that even the linesman had indicated that no foul had occurred. He added that some Malaysian sepak takraw fans later apologised to the Thai team after the match.
Takraw Association of Thailand president Thana Chaiprasit said he was satisfied with the team’s overall performance, noting that the players had only 14 days to train together before the tournament, but nonetheless exceeded expectations.
Thailand won one world title in the regu event and finished runners-up in the men’s team competition.
In a Facebook post, the Takraw Association of Thailand thanked supporters for backing the national team throughout the tournament and said it accepted all criticism and feedback over the incident.
“Although the result may not have been what many expected, we still have goals, hope and bigger missions ahead,” the association said.
Meanwhile, the International Sepaktakraw Federation defended the referee’s decision, saying the centre-line violation was judged correctly under tournament rules.
The federation also stated that the disputed play was not eligible for video challenge review under current regulations.
It added that once Thailand refused to return to the court within the allotted time, officials had no choice but to award victory to Malaysia in accordance with competition rules.
The federation said it understood the emotions and pressure surrounding the championship match, but stressed that professional sport must operate under strict rules and discipline.
