Malaysia crowned sepak takraw world champions after controversial Thai walkout

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Malaysia emerged champions of the 2026 Sepak Takraw World Cup team regu event after Thailand withdrew during the highly controversial final at Stadium Titiwangsa here last night.

The result also saw the national squad end Thailand’s dominance of winning the previous three editions of the prestigious tournament.

More than 3,000 supporters who packed Stadium Titiwangsa witnessed the fighting spirit displayed by Ahmad Jais Baharun’s men in their quest for a meaningful title on home ground.

Malaysia fielded a first regu comprising Muhammad Zulkifli Abd Razak, Muhammad Afifuddin Mohd Razali and Aidil Aiman Azwawi to face a stern challenge from Thailand.

The first regu saw the national trio excel in spikes and blocks to hand Malaysia a 15-9, 13-15, 15-11 victory.

However, Malaysia’s second trio of Muhammad Haziq Hairul Nizam, Mohamad Azlan Alias and Farhan Adam failed to match the strength of Thailand’s Kritsanapong Nontakote, Tanapon Sapyen and Wuttinun Kamsanor, going down 6-15, 10-15 to level the overall score at 1-1.

In the deciding match, the national trio of Muhammad Zarif Marican Ibrahim Marican, Hafizul Hayazi Adnan and Amirul Zazwan Amir got off to a positive start after defeating the Thai regu 15-13 in the opening set.

The second set turned dramatic when Thailand stood on the brink of victory while leading 14-13, but the referee awarded a point to Malaysia following a review over claims that a Thai player had stepped beyond the court boundary line.

The decision saw the score tied at 14-14 before the Thai camp staged a walkout in protest against the referee’s decision.

Play was halted for about half an hour before the officiating team confirmed Malaysia’s victory after Thailand refused to continue the match, with the final score recorded as 2-1.

Meanwhile, national sepak takraw team manager Datuk Abu Jimi Samat said the decision was made after the referee found that the Thai player had committed a fault when his foot crossed the court line during a crucial point in the second set of the deciding match.

“The referee’s decision was correct because the Thai player’s foot clearly crossed the line. They had also watched the video earlier,” he told reporters after the match.

However, Abu Jimi acknowledged that the Thailand camp was dissatisfied with the decision before proceeding to protest and refusing to continue the game.

He also questioned the action of the court referee in accepting the challenge from Thailand because, based on his understanding, decisions involving foot faults over the line cannot be challenged.

“Based on my understanding, the challenge should not have been accepted because that decision falls solely under the match referee’s jurisdiction,” he said. — Bernama

المصدر: Malay Mail