In the 45kg Muay Thai event on 16/12, Vietnamese athlete Hoang Khanh Mai dominated her match, landing precise strikes and even knocking her Filipino opponent to the canvas. However, the judges awarded the victory to the Filipino athlete after two rounds, a decision that sparked immediate controversy.

Incensed by the decision, Khanh Mai's head coach, Co Tan Anh Linh, threw a water bottle onto the mat and shouted loudly. He then led his athlete off the mat, abandoning the match midway, while the referee attempted to call Khanh Mai back to compete. Filipino athlete Islay Erika Bomogao was consequently awarded the win, advancing to the final to face Noon-Eiad Arissara of host Thailand.

Following her coach's instruction, Khanh Mai bowed to the audience before leaving the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. In the recorded video, Filipino fans appeared shocked by the Vietnamese coaching staff's decision but quickly cheered for Bomogao's victory.

Khanh Mai was considered a key athlete, with the coaching staff expecting her to win a gold medal for the team at the SEA Games, but she had to exit the competition in frustration. The 19-year-old had previously won a gold medal at the 2025 Asian Championship and was a world champion in the U23 45kg category this year.

Khanh Mai is not the only Vietnamese athlete who has allegedly faced unfair judging in martial arts events at the 33rd SEA Games. Previously, MMA fighter Pham Van Nam cried after a seemingly biased refereeing decision in his semifinal loss to a Thai opponent in the under 56kg category. Additionally, Vu Van Kien was ruled to have lost despite holding a significant lead against host opponent Janjaroen Tinnapat in the 60kg pencak silat semifinal.

Khanh Mai (red) during her match against Boragao at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Bangkok, on 16/12. *Photo: PS*

The Muay Thai event at the 33rd SEA Games took place from 13-19/12, featuring 18 competition categories: 10 men's combat weight classes (45-75kg), six women's combat weight classes (45-60kg), and two exhibition events for men and women. Each nation was permitted to register one athlete per category.

Prior to the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese Muay Thai team achieved impressive results, securing 14 gold medals at the 2025 Asian Muay Thai Championship and four gold medals at the World Championship held in Turkey.

The most recent SEA Games where Vietnamese sports won gold medals in Muay Thai was the 31st SEA Games, held in 2022 in Vietnam, with four gold medals won by Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, Bui Yen Ly, Bang Thi Mai, and Nguyen Thi Phuong Hau.

This afternoon, 17/12, Muay Thai is expected to be a "gold mine" for Vietnamese sports, with six athletes competing in the finals: Nguyen Thi Chieu (women's 57 kg), Pham Ngoc Man (men's 63.5 kg), Bang Quang Thang (men's 71 kg), Nguyen Thanh Tung (men's 75 kg), Nguyen Thi Phuong Hau (women's 60 kg), and Duong Duc Bao (men's 48 kg). All six fighters will face opponents from host Thailand in their respective finals.

Vy Anh