Unexpected turn! The Pencak Silat Association rushed to clarify the case of leaving the injured Vietnamese athlete lying on the ground, insisting that such tactics of feigning injury to gain foul wins are frequent and that they have complete evidence.
On 17 Dec 2025 GMT+7, a controversy arose over first aid during the 2025 SEA Games Pencak Silat competition hosted by Thailand. The 65 kg men’s match between Nguyen Minh Tri from Vietnam and Muhammad Issu from Malaysia sparked widespread online debate.
The incident began when the Vietnamese athlete was punched on the neck, causing him to fall motionless on the field. This raised concerns about the severity of his injury. However, publicly available footage showed medical staff carrying the athlete off the field without a stretcher, neck brace, or the expected type of first aid, leading to heavy criticism.
Later, the referee ruled that Nguyen Minh Tri could not continue, allowing Muhammad Issu to advance directly to the final. Although the Vietnamese coaching team appealed, the decision was upheld.
Recently, Mr. Nakrob Thongdaeng, Technical Chairman of the Thai Pencak Silat Association, addressed the issue withthe 'Kob Sanam' page.He affirmed that the organizers have all necessary medical equipment and a specialist medical team closely monitoring the athletes.
From a technical standpoint, Muhammad Issu is the defending SEA Games champion and a favorite in this weight class, while the Vietnamese athlete is considered somewhat less competitive. Pencak Silat rules differ from boxing; strikes to the face are prohibited and result in immediate foul losses. In practice, there have been cases where athletes feigned being hit to gain a foul advantage.
In this case, the referee reviewed the VAR footage thoroughly and confirmed the punch was legal and did not constitute a 'knockdown.' The committee then summoned the medical team to evaluate the athlete using standard procedures—pupil examination, neck muscle checks, and other signals—and the assessment found the condition normal.
Because Vietnam was already struggling, they allegedly resorted to feigning injury by lying still to try to win by foul. The referee counted to ten according to the rules, which, for those not watching the live broadcast, seemed alarming and raised questions about why the injured athlete was left lying still on the field.
After the match ended with Malaysia as the winner, the Vietnamese athlete remained lying on the field, prompting medical staff and officials to carry him off without a stretcher, since the medical team had assessed no serious injury.
The Indonesian referee, serving as Assistant Technical Delegate, further confirmed this was not a 'knockdown' and that there was no serious danger involved.
Shortly after, Nguyen Minh Tri was able to return to cheer on his teammates and participate in target practice with fellow Vietnamese athletes as usual. The Thai Pencak Silat Association confirmed it has preserved complete photo and data evidence.
Regarding medical equipment, Mr. Nakrob Thongdaeng emphasized that the association and medical team are fully equipped and staffed with personnel trained in specialized care. The observed procedures comply with competition regulations. If no severe injury or feigned symptoms are detected during initial assessment, carrying the athlete off the field is the normal practice in this sport.