In the men's singles bowling event, 16-year-old Tran Hoang Khoi faced host athlete Napat Buspanikokul in the semifinal. While leading by a significant margin and nearing victory against Napat, Hoang Khoi was informed by the organizers that there had been an error in the semifinal pairings. Hoang Khoi was originally scheduled to compete against Jesus San Jose (Philippines), while Napat was to face Syazirol Shamsudin (Malaysia).

Tran Hoang Khoi (center) receives the men's singles bowling gold medal at SEA Games 33 at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin shopping center, Bangkok, Thailand on 14/12. *Photo: TTBA*

Despite the controversial decision, the Vietnamese representative accepted the re-match and started scoring from scratch against San Jose. He defeated the Filipino opponent 226-149 to advance to the final. In the other semifinal, Napat defeated Syazirol 211-210.

Meeting Napat again in the final, the 16-year-old athlete won 235-210, securing Vietnam's first-ever SEA Games bowling gold medal. A VTBF representative told VnExpress that the Thailand Tenpin Bowling Association (TTBA) had apologized for the incident. Since Hoang Khoi ultimately won the gold medal, the VTBF chose not to publicize this information on their channels to prevent further controversy.

The TTBA stated that they were not directly responsible for the organization and technical operations. According to the Thai side, the entire organization of the bowling event at SEA Games 33 was handled by the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF).

Suwalai Sattrulee, Secretary General of the TTBA, stated that the incident stemmed from a technical error in the pairing process by the results department, leading to athletes competing against the wrong opponents and on incorrect lanes compared to the initial regulations. When the ABF Rules Committee reviewed and discovered the mistake, the organizers were compelled to stop the match and request a replay to ensure the competition adhered to the rules.

The TTBA added that SEA Games 33 employed a new format, adopting the Asian Indoor Games model, which differed from previous SEA Games. This change made the event's operation more complex and susceptible to errors during organization.

The ABF has not yet responded to the incident.

Hoang Khoi, born in 2009, is known by the nickname "Kelvin". He previously won the U13 Thailand Open in 2022.

Bowling is a relatively nascent sport in Vietnam, having received investment and development only in the past five years. The Vietnamese bowling team at SEA Games 33 primarily consisted of young athletes, including Hoang Khoi. Prior to the games, facing challenges in terms of personnel and international competition experience, the team did not set specific performance targets. Therefore, Hoang Khoi's gold medal was a significant surprise, far exceeding the coaching staff's expectations.

Xuan Binh