Thai Sepaktakraw Manager Uayachai Claims Team Was Cheated, Falsely Called for Foot Fault Not in Rulebook
Thailand's men's sepaktakraw team withdrew from the World Cup final against Malaysia after the referee called a foot fault that no longer exists in the sport's rulebook, denying them a crucial point at 14-14.
Thailand's men's sepaktakraw team withdrew during their final match against Malaysia at the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup 2026 at Titiwangsa Stadium in Malaysia, citing unfair officiating by referee Muhammad Radi across multiple sequences. The controversy centered on the final point in the third match, where a Thai player was called for a foot line violation despite this foul no longer existing in sepaktakraw rules.
Team manager Uayachai Srisuwan explained the disputed sequence: The referee initially called "over," which Thailand challenged. Video review showed it was not over, and the court official held up a "Not Over" sign—meaning the point should have gone to Thailand. However, Radi then reversed his decision, claiming a line fault instead, despite rules no longer prohibiting foot line violations and the player's heel not crossing the center line. This gave the point to Malaysia at 14-14.
Srisuwan further stated: "I consulted with Thai referees—to be over, the entire foot must cross the line, but the heel hadn't crossed. When he didn't call it over, he suddenly called it a line fault. He wouldn't accept 14-14 or allow a replay. We couldn't accept this. What kind of crazy rule allows replays?" The incident prompted Thailand's decision to withdraw from the competition.
