Acting President of World Sepaktakraw Federation Says Thailand Should Not Forfeit, Urges Cooperation with Federation to Mitigate Penalties

Bunjai, acting president of the International Sepaktakraw Federation, stated that Thailand should not abandon the match midway, arguing that the referee's decision was correct. He urged Thailand to cooperate with the federation to process disciplinary measures and reduce the impact of potential penalties.

The controversy erupted during the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026 final in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last weekend. The Thai national team faced host Malaysia but refused to continue play after disagreeing with referee Muhammad Radi's calls, creating a drama that could result in Thailand being banned from international competitions, including the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

On May 26, Bunjai Lor Phiphat, acting president of the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF), disclosed that the matter must follow proper procedures. He pointed out that the Thai team's method of refusing to play was inappropriate. The correct procedure, used in all competitions including SEA Games, Asian Games, and World Championships, is to lodge a formal protest within 30 minutes after the match ends. However, walking out damages tournament organizers, particularly in match management and live broadcasting.

Bunjai noted that similar incidents have occurred before, including during the 31st King's Cup in Thailand in 2016, when the Malaysian team was unhappy with a Vietnamese referee's decision and refused to continue playing in front of the royal representative. The federation's disciplinary committee investigated and found a violation, imposing penalties on those involved.

"In this case, we have established procedures to follow," Bunjai said. "The federation will invite relevant parties to clarify details and ensure fairness to all sides before the committee decides on penalties. Initial punishments could range from match bans to suspensions of involved officials, depending on the severity of the violation."

Bunjai further explained that athletes must understand the rules correctly. Regarding the specific moment, two issues occurred simultaneously: a line violation and what the Thai team interpreted as a net block foul. Thailand challenged the call, and the challenge showed no net block foul had occurred. However, the line violation and foot intrusion into the opponent's court constituted another foul with clear photographic evidence. Therefore, the referee's decision was correct, and athletes should have continued playing and then filed protests if desired on other points, such as alleged bias. This is separate from the walk-out issue.

"Over the past several decades of sepaktakraw refereeing, there have been cases of far more obvious bias than this, but players should continue playing and lodge proper protests."