Thailand fighter stripped of SEA Games pencak silat gold following Malaysian appeal

Home fighter Pheeraphon Mittasan was initially declared the winner over Malaysia’s Muhammad Izzul Irfan Marzuki, with a score of 60-57 at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani on Wednesday.

But the Malaysia pencak silat team filed an immediate protest, arguing that a decisive strike landed by Mittasan had occurred after the final bell, a clear violation of the rules, according to Line Today.

While Malaysia’s initial appeal was rejected, they submitted a second, more detailed objection before the ceremony began. Upon reviewing video footage of the match, the panel of referees and experts reversed the original decision, just when the Thailand fighter was preparing to get on the podium.

BB Aishah Global Shah, leader of the Malaysia pencak silat team, confirmed that the organizers deducted 10 points from Mittasan for the late strike.

The score was adjusted to 57-50 in favor of Muhammad Izzul Irfan, handing him the gold medal, while Mittasan settled for silver.

The last-minute reversal was a bitter pill for the hosts, leaving the Thailand pencak silat team with a total of three gold medals for the tournament.

The victory marks the second controversial match involving Muhammad Izzul Irfan at the 33rd SEA Games.

In the semi-finals, the Malaysia fighter advanced after an incident involving Vietnam’s Nguyen Minh Triet. Irfan landed a strike to the neck that floored Triet. Despite the Vietnam fighter’s inability to continue, the referee ruled in favor of Irfan, declaring him the winner while his opponent required medical attention.

In pencak silat, valid target areas included the shoulder to waist (chest, abdomen, ribs, back), while strikes to the head, neck, face and groin are prohibited. The referee can declare a disqualification if an illegal strike makes a fighter unable to continue.

Pencak silat, a traditional martial art originating from Indonesia, returned to the SEA Games this year after being omitted from recent editions. First introduced in 1987, the sport is known for combining graceful, dance-like movements with high-impact combat techniques.