A dramatic and controversial showdown at the Titiwangsa Stadium saw Malaysia declared the TM ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup team regu champions after arch-rivals Thailand staged a sensational walkout and forfeited the deciding match of the final.

The International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) has since confirmed that the incident has been referred to its disciplinary body for further review following Thailand’s refusal to continue playing, amid allegations from the Thai camp that the match referee was biased.

The chaos erupted during a crucial juncture of the high-stakes third regu match, with the overall tie deadlocked at 1-1. Veteran international referee Mr. Mohammed Radhi Che Mei called a centre line infringement against a Thai player—a massive decision that immediately drew furious protests from the Thailand bench.

Thailand demanded a video challenge, which was promptly denied by match officials because centre line calls do not fall under the current Challenge Review System’s scope.

In an official statement addressing the unprecedented incident, ISTAF explained:

“During a crucial stage of the third regu match, the match referee called a centre line infringement against a Thailand player in accordance with the ISTAF Laws of the Game. Following the decision, Team Thailand requested for a challenge review. However, the Match Referee informed the team that centre line infringements do not fall under the scope of the current Challenge Review System procedures.”

Despite prolonged explanations and advisories from match officials, the Thai team refused to return to the court, leaving the referee with no choice but to call off the match.

“Despite several explanations and advisories provided by the match officials, Team Thailand declined to continue the match and did not return to the court within the time permitted under the competition regulations,” ISTAF stated. “In accordance with the ISTAF Technical Handbook and competition regulations, the Match Referee subsequently declared the match forfeited and awarded the result to Malaysia.”

The forfeiture handed Malaysia a 2-1 victory in the team regu category, sparking celebrations among the home fans but leaving a cloud of controversy over the tournament’s final day.

ISTAF, ASTAF Stand Firm Behind Referee

Following intense backlash and emotional accusations circulating on social media against the match referee, Mr. Radhi Che Mei, both ISTAF and the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF) released a joint statement expressing “full confidence and strongest support” for the five-decade veteran.

Describing Radhi as one of the most experienced and disciplined officials in the history of the sport, the governing bodies strongly condemned the personal attacks targeted at him.

“ASTAF and ISTAF strongly believe that referees must be respected and protected from unfair personal attacks, especially when they carry out their duties based on the official laws and regulations of the game,” the statement read. “In any high-level competition, difficult decisions are part of the sport and must be viewed professionally and objectively.”

ISTAF also heavily criticized Thailand’s walkout tactic, reminding all participating nations that a refusal to play undermines the integrity of the sport.

“ISTAF wishes to emphasise that all referees are entrusted to carry out their duties professionally, fairly, and independently in accordance with the Laws of the Game,” the world body noted. “Should any participating team disagree with a decision during competition, the proper avenue provided under the regulations is through the official protest procedure and not through refusal to continue play.”

With the case now officially handed over to the disciplinary board, both players and officials from the Thai camp could face severe sanctions for code of conduct breaches.

Mixed Bags for Malaysia’s Campaign

Despite the dramatic conclusion, the team regu victory seals a highly successful yet bittersweet World Cup campaign for Malaysia on home soil. The national squad ended the tournament with two major titles—the team regu and the quadrant event.

However, their bid for a clean sweep was derailed earlier in the tournament when they were stunned by Myanmar in the inter-regu semi-finals, failing to defend their crown. Ironically, Thailand had gone on to defeat Myanmar to claim the inter-regu gold before the tournament descended into chaos in the team event.