SEA Games controversies continue as athletes, including Vietnam’s, face unfair judging

Amid mounting frustration, the SEA Games, which are only halfway through, have been marked by disputes over officiating that have sparked protests from various delegations.

In the men’s 65kg pencak silat semifinal on Tuesday, Vietnam’s Nguyen Minh Triet was taken to the hospital after a neck injury sustained from a strike by Malaysia’s Muhammad Izzu.

Despite Triet being unable to continue the match, the referee declared Izzu the winner, sparking widespread anger among the Vietnamese team.

The strike, which some considered illegal, went unpenalized, and Vietnam’s protest was rejected.

Triet’s injury is just the latest in a series of controversial referee decisions at this year’s SEA Games in Thailand.

Earlier, Triet’s teammate, Vu Van Kien, broke down in tears after being disqualified in the men’s 60kg pencak silat semifinal despite leading the match.

Kien’s strike to his Thai opponent’s abdomen, which caused the opponent to collapse and was within the rules of the sport, was deemed dangerous by the referee.

Many felt the decision was unfair as the Thai fighter appeared to clutch his face rather than his abdomen.

In MMA, Vietnam’s Pham Van Nam failed to advance from the men’s under-56kg semifinals after a tie on points with Thailand’s Norachart Sutharang.

Despite dominating the match, including a strong performance in the overtime round, Nam lost due to a weight-based tiebreaker, with Sutharang deemed the lighter fighter.

“I was the real winner, but they favored the host,” he said as he later broke down in tears backstage.

The result sparked protests from the Vietnamese team, who believed Nam deserved to win in the regulation rounds without the tiebreaker.

In taekwondo, athletes competing in performance-based events have voiced frustration over perceived subjective judging.

On the opening day of the SEA Games, Vietnam’s Nguyen Trong Phuc and Trinh Thi Kim Ha, despite making only a minor error, were defeated by a Singaporean pair who made two clear mistakes.

Vietnam’s appeal to review the footage was denied.

Similar protests were made by the Philippines, who claimed they were unfairly treated in their semifinal against the same Singaporean pair that then won gold medals.

Another pair, Malaysia’s Nur Humaira Abdul Karim and Jason Loo Jun Wei, initially leading in their taekwondo event, were penalized 0.4 points for an unspecified technical violation, leading to their elimination in the quarterfinals.

The pair had been considered strong contenders for gold before the SEA Games began, but the penalty, which was not clearly explained, ended their medal hopes.

In wushu, a change in competition rules compounded the frustration.

Vietnamese world champion Duong Thuy Vi, despite maintaining the same high-level performance that earned her international titles, was unable to secure a medal in the SEA Games.

The new rule that combined three routines for a single medal had created pressure on athletes, with competitors from Malaysia and Indonesia opting for safer, lower-difficulty routines.

Vi, however, refused to compromise her technical standard, resulting in her absence from the medal podium.

Pencak silat also saw tensions escalate beyond the mat.

During a women’s match between Malaysia’s Nor Farah Mazlan and Thailand’s opponent, the score was tied at 60-60 before a controversial call declared Mazlan the loser.

The Malaysian team’s fury led to a confrontation with the referees, with the situation escalating into a physical altercation that required intervention by event organizers.

Elsewhere, in women’s volleyball, Vietnam was on the verge of making history when they faced Thailand in the final.

The match went to a deciding fifth set, with Vietnam close to securing their first-ever gold medal.

But a contentious call about a net violation, made at a critical moment, prevented the Vietnamese from closing out the match.

The lack of clear video evidence led to the decision standing.

Coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet later admitted the team could not finish the match when they had the opportunity, adding that “since this is Thailand’s home turf, we have to accept it.”

The SEA Games run from December 9 to December 20 and feature athletes from 11 countries.

Vietnam has sent 1,165 delegation members and is targeting between 80 and 100 gold medals.

As of 5:15 pm on Tuesday, Vietnam was third in the medal standings with 43 golds, 50 silvers, and 73 bronzes.

Host Thailand led the medal table with 149 golds, 90 silvers and 64 bronzes, while Indonesia held second place with 59 gold, 69 silver, and 65 bronze medals.