Pencak Silat at the SEA Games descends into chaos due to refereeing disputes.

The controversial defeat of the Malaysian Pencak Silat team to host Thailand at the 33rd SEA Games turned the arena into a hotbed of violence.

Chaos erupted in the Pencak Silat competition at the 33rd SEA Games.

The women's B-weight (50–55 kg) bout between Nor Farah Mazlan and Jongtima Ruenthong on December 16th ended in a 60-60 draw at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. According to the rules, the referee applied the tie-breaker criterion based on the number of technical fouls, thus awarding the victory to the Thai fighter.

This decision immediately drew strong reactions from the Malaysian team, who argued that Nor Farah was the more proactive and effective player throughout the match.

What happened

Controversy over scoring is not uncommon in martial arts. Pencak Silat is particularly sensitive due to its high degree of subjectivity, as scores reflect not only the accuracy of the blows but also the overall situation, technique, control, and even fouls. This unique characteristic makes every decision easily ignited by resentment, especially in the context of a confrontation between the home and away teams.

However, the problem with this match wasn't the technical debate, but the subsequent reaction. When the verbal complaints of head coach Siti Rahmah Mohamed Nasir and the coaching staff were not accepted, some members of the Malaysian team assaulted the referee and organizers.

Security forces and police had to intervene to stabilize the situation, causing a temporary interruption to the match before it resumed. The final score remained unchanged.

From that moment on, the story was no longer about winning or losing. The violence in the ring completely overshadowed the meaning of the competition, plunging Pencak Silat, a martial art associated with the chivalrous spirit of Southeast Asia, into a sad moment.

Pencak Silat is a martial art that is always controversial.

The frustration felt by athletes and coaches when they fail in such an unacceptable way is undeniable. But elite sports always demand emotional control. Protesting against referees is a right, but attacking referees and organizers is behavior that crosses all boundaries and cannot be justified by any reason.

Lessons for the organizers

This incident also raises serious questions about the management of martial arts at the SEA Games. Transparency in scoring, interpretation of judgments, and mechanisms for receiving complaints are clearly not convincing enough. When grievances accumulate without an effective channel for release, a single controversial decision can easily push things out of control.

However, it must be made clear: all the refereeing shortcomings cannot overshadow the responsibility of the Malaysian team in this incident. Coaches and athletes, as national representatives, must understand that every action they take is symbolic. A scuffle on the mat not only damages individual image but also directly affects the reputation of the entire sports delegation.

From the perspective of the SEA Games 33 organizing committee, this is a serious warning. Martial arts disciplines need more thorough security preparations, especially in sensitive matches between the host country and direct rivals. More importantly, the process for explaining and handling complaints must be clear and quick enough to prevent escalating tensions on the competition floor.

Pencak Silat is built on the foundation of martial arts, where strength always goes hand in hand with self-control.

The SEA Games is a regional sporting event where solidarity and mutual respect must be paramount. The chaotic scenes at Impact Arena contradict these values, dragging the tournament back to familiar controversies: suspicion of refereeing errors, feelings of unfair treatment, and emotional reactions.

Pencak Silat is built on the foundation of martial arts, where strength always goes hand in hand with self-control. When that spirit is broken, failure doesn't just belong to the losing team. It's a collective failure of the organization, of the competitive spirit, and of the image of the SEA Games itself.

Ultimately, the question isn't which team won the match, but what lessons the SEA Games will learn to prevent such incidents from happening again. Without significant changes, the line between professional debate and on-field violence will continue to blur, leaving a lasting stain on Southeast Asian sports.

Source: https://znews.vn/pencak-silat-tai-sea-games-vo-tran-vi-tranh-cai-trong-tai-post1612115.html