Thai Sepaktakraw Chief Slams Referees: 'They Can Have the Championship' – Threatens to Withdraw National Team
Thailand's sepaktakraw federation chief accused referees of bias after the defending champion men's team was disqualified from the World Cup semifinal in Malaysia, threatening to withdraw from future competitions if refereeing standards don
At the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026 in Malaysia on May 23, 2026, Thailand's defending champion men's team faced Malaysia in a semifinal match that became heated in the third deciding set after the teams were tied 1-1. With Thailand trailing 1-0 in sets and leading 14-13 late in the second set, Thai players attempted a finishing move, but Singaporean referee Radee ruled that Thailand had stepped out of bounds. The Thai team protested by refusing to continue playing, with the coaching staff demanding the point be reinstated and the referee be changed, or they would forfeit the match. After time ran out, Thailand was penalized with a forfeit loss.
After the match, Thana Chaiyaprasit, president of the Thai Sepaktakraw Association (known as 'Big Tom'), alleged that the International Federation had intentionally assigned Radee to officiate and that the refereeing was blatantly unfair, with at least three questionable calls. He stated the team decided to let Malaysia take the trophy rather than continue under these conditions, noting that filing protests would be futile since the Federation appeared to have predetermined the outcome. He criticized that lower-line judges repeatedly awarded points to Thailand, only for Radee to overrule them with replay decisions.
"Going forward, we need to reconsider our participation," Chaiyaprasit said. "If this continues, we may not send our full national team to future competitions. Instead, we might send our youth team to gain experience."
