Thai Sepaktakraw Federation Files Official Objection to Referee Decision – Confident Team Won't Face Ban from Asian Games

The Thai men's sepaktakraw team returned to Thailand on May 24 after competing in the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team won the singles championship and finished runner-up in the men's team event. The controversy erupted in the final against hosts Malaysia when the team walked out in protest over Singaporean referee Muhammad Radi's controversial decision. Team manager Uayachai Srisuwun emphasized this was a concession rather than a walkout, saying: "The referee insisted on awarding points to Malaysia with no basis whatsoever. He said he saw it that way, so he'd award it that way, which we couldn't accept. According to the rules, we did nothing wrong." Srisuwun explained: "If Thailand had scored on the 15th rally, we would have continued. But if the referee gave Malaysia the point, we'd lose anyway, so we decided to stop. It's like we lost on points, but we still received a medal. We didn't walk out—we just conceded. We didn't know how to compete if the game has no rules like this." Meanwhile, Dr. Seehasak Areerajakaruna, secretary-general and vice president of the Thai Sepaktakraw Association, revealed they are preparing an official letter to the International Sepaktakraw Federation regarding the referee's conduct. He expressed confidence that the Thai national team will not be banned but acknowledged they will likely receive a warning letter. "I'm worried about a possible ban, but this year we have the Asian Games and King's Cup, which is a world championship," he stated. "I spoke with federation officials about being thorough in their review. If they're not careful, I'll continue to argue. But from what I hear, they probably won't ban us, though we'll definitely get a warning letter."