Sergeant Surajit Thonganan, head coach of the Thai national muay thai team, stated he had anticipated this scenario. "I already thought something like this would happen; it was just a matter of whose 'lot' it would fall to," he said. "Today, everyone clearly saw that our opponents couldn't do anything against us, but I truly don't know what more to say."

According to Thai newspaper Khaosod, judging decisions during the muay thai finals at Lumpinee stadium were deemed unconvincing, drawing sharp criticism from experts and fans alike. Coach Surajit explained that young fighters trained all year with the sole aim of winning gold medals, only to face disappointing decisions, even with Thailand as the host nation. "I can openly state that there was an entire process of result fixing and medal distribution," he asserted. "This hinders the development of muay thai and is not exclusive to this tournament; it has existed for a long time. I can confirm that."

A Thai muay thai athlete expresses disappointment at the 33rd SEA Games. _Khaosod_

One highly controversial match was the men's 54 kg final between host athlete Thongchai Huanaek and Wassof bin Rumijam. In the first round, the Thai fighter launched continuous attacks but received lower scores. Entering the second round, he intensified his pressure to regain the advantage. By the final round, the Malaysian fighter showed signs of a leg injury, while the home representative controlled the pace and landed effective strikes. However, after three rounds, the judges still scored Thongchai as losing 28-29, prompting widespread protests from the audience at Lumpinee stadium.

Following the match, the athlete believed he had performed better and expressed surprise at the final result. "I thought I would win no matter what," he stated. "The referees made many confusing decisions; every time I prepared to clinch my opponent or deliver a follow-up strike, there was immediate intervention. After the match, I still believed I would win, but everyone saw the outcome." The fighter born in 2000 also openly admitted he had somewhat anticipated this outcome. "I thought the draw result was favorable because Malaysian fighters had lost quite a lot before this," Thongchai shared. "Perhaps the medals were already predetermined. As an athlete, I couldn't do anything more. I apologize to the fans for not being able to bring home a gold medal."

Sakchai Thapsuwan, President of the Thai Muaythai Federation, denied any policy of result fixing at the 33rd SEA Games. _Khaosod_

Amid suspicions of medal distribution, Sakchai Thapsuwan, President of the Thai Muaythai Federation and President of the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), asserted that no policy of result fixing existed at the 33rd SEA Games. According to Thapsuwan, muay thai at this year's SEA Games concluded generally satisfactorily, although he acknowledged that some final matches featured controversial judging decisions. However, he emphasized that the officiating team was not under the direct management of the Thai Muaythai Federation but was appointed by the SEA Games Organizing Committee. Therefore, questions regarding officiating should be directed to the head of the organizing committee's referee department.

In his capacity as IFMA President, Thapsuwan stated he would review official reports submitted before taking any action. "Personally, I watched the matches from start to finish and there were times when I felt the results weren't entirely convincing," he said. "However, I was sitting in the stands, while the referees were closer to the ring; they might have observed situations that we couldn't clearly see." Directly addressing the medal-fixing allegations, Thapsuwan affirmed: "We have never had, nor do we have, a policy of distributing medals. Wins and losses are entirely based on the athletes' abilities. Assessments that claim referees performed below standard are individual perspectives and opinions."

At the conclusion of the muay thai event at the 33rd SEA Games, the Thai delegation secured 11 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and one bronze medal. However, controversies surrounding the officiating continue to raise questions about the tournament's transparency.

_Hong Duy (Khaosod, Matichon)_