Kuala lumpur: The Thai men's sepak takraw team faced disqualification from the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Championships final against Malaysia after staging a walkout to protest a decision made by a Singaporean referee. The dramatic turn of events unfolded at the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026, hosted at Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the men's team final was held between two-time defending champions Thailand and the host nation Malaysia. The match drew a large audience of local sepak takraw enthusiasts.
According to Thai News Agency, the controversy began after Thailand's Team C, comprising Chakrit Thinbangbon, Wichan Temkhot, and Phutawan Sopha, engaged in a closely contested match against Malaysia. Despite losing the first set 13-15, Thailand rallied to lead the second set 14-13. However, a critical point was disputed when Singaporean referee Mohammed Radi Bin Shemi ruled a foul on Phutawan's spike, citing his foot was on the center line. This decision was made despite the assistant referee's video replay showing no foul. The Singaporean referee's ruling equalized the score at 14-14, prompting protests from the Thai team and coaching staff, who demanded a review and a change of referee. However, the organizers upheld the original decision, leading to Thailand's walkout and subsequent disqualification.
The ruling resulted in Malaysia winning the men's team championship by default. "Big Tom" Thana Chaiyaprasit, president of the Sepak Takraw Association of Thailand, expressed concerns over the officiating, suggesting that the International Sepak Takraw Federation (FISF) intentionally assigned referee "Rady" to officiate the match. He highlighted three officiating incidents he found problematic during the game and expressed skepticism over the effectiveness of protests, attributing the issues to the Federation's referee selection. He also mentioned potential bias, with several points that should have been awarded to Thailand being ordered for replay. In response, he indicated that the association might reconsider sending their senior team to future tournaments if officiating doesn't improve, possibly opting to send youth players instead to gain experience.