Chronology Of The Dark Story Behind The Final Of The 2021 SEA Games Pencak Silat, Indonesian Coaches Bicker With Fellow Nation's Men

Illustration of SEA Games 2021. (Photo via Antara/Gilang Galiartha)

JAKARTA - The sport of pencak silat is in the spotlight during the 2021 SEA Games Hanoi. One of the highlights is the clash between fellow nationals in the men's 50-55 kg class B final.

This incident occurred in the match between Indonesian fighter Khoirudin Mustakim and his Malaysian opponent, Muhamad Khairi Adib Bin Azhar, at the Bac Tu Liem Sporting Hall in Hanoi, last Sunday, May 16.

The referee's decision in the match sparked controversy. Coach Mustakim Bondan Wirawan, who felt aggrieved, immediately reacted to Denny Suparsowo as the Technical Director of the World Pencak Silat Federation who supervised the referees at the 31st SEA Games.

This incident started with Mustakim who threw a kick into his opponent's mouth in 10 seconds (previously reported 28 seconds, red) at the end of the match. The kick made the Malaysian fighter fall to the ground and had to get medical attention.

According to the rules of pencak silat, athletes are not allowed to attack the opponent's face. Thus, what Mustakim did is considered a serious violation

When the offense occurred, Mustakim was leading 59-50 over his opponent and almost won the gold medal. However, this cut meant that Mustakim had to lose 49-50 to Muhamad Azhar.

It was at this point that Bondan's emotions exploded and made a quarrel with Denny unavoidable. Knee fights and gestures between the two were then brokered by Indonesia's head coach, Indro Catur Haryono, as reported by Zing News.

Mustakim's coaching team then received a yellow card from Denny. Meanwhile, Chess began to provide an explanation of the incident.

After receiving treatment from medical personnel, Muhammad Azhar resumed the match. He was on the court for 10 seconds to take home the gold medal for Malaysia.

After the match, Mustakim approached the Malaysian coach and apologized. However, he still received ridicule from the Malaysian audience in the stands.

Chef de Mission (CdM) of the Indonesian Contingent, Ferry Kono, admitted that he was sorry for the incident involving the two children of the nation. He asked pencak silat as one of the leading sports to solve the problem immediately.

"We regret this incident because our focus is on the athletes. That our athletes did not lose, they were disqualified. There is a lack of understanding of the rules, there is dissatisfaction with the answer, that is the dynamics that occur on the field," he said, as quoted from the Antara video.