Thai boxer quits national team over match-fixing claims
Thai national boxer has announced his retirement from amateur Muay Thai after a shocking semifinal loss at the 2025 SEA Games, claiming he was approached by a coach who revealed the gold medal was already fixed.
- Thai boxer Chalongchai Minindi has quit the national team following a controversial loss at the 2025 SEA Games.
- He alleges that a coach informed him before his semifinal match that the result was going to be fixed.
- The controversial bout was a 28-29 points loss to a Filipino opponent, a decision that sparked outrage from fans.
- Following his departure, Chalongchai will leave amateur boxing to focus solely on his professional Muay Thai career.
Thai national boxer Chalongchai Minindi, or Petchsuphan Luknongpantao, took to social media on Wednesday (December 17) to express his outrage following a controversial defeat at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
The veteran fighter suffered a shocking 28-29 points loss to the Philippines' Lj Rafael Yasay in the men’s 51kg semifinals.
Despite a strong performance that many felt deserved a win, the decision ended Petchsuphan’s hopes for a gold medal on home soil and sparked immediate backlash over the tournament's judging standards.
"I want to speak my mind: before the fight, a coach told me directly that they were going to fix the result, likely for my match in the 51kg division," Chalongchai stated with deep disappointment.
The Thai fighter revealed he was shocked from the first round when the scores showed him trailing, despite being confident he performed better.
This forced him to push harder in rounds two and three, but the final decision still went against him, sparking loud boos from fans across the stadium who believed the Thai boxer should have won.
Chalongchai concluded on a painful note, announcing that this would be his last SEA Games and likely his final time representing the nation.
He has decided to leave amateur boxing behind to focus solely on his professional Muay Thai career.
"I’m done with the national team. I’d rather focus on professional Muay Thai. I want to apologise to Thai fans for not making it. I trained so hard, fasting and never missing a session for months, only to be chosen for disappointment. I’ve seen the true colours of this industry now."
This controversy has severely shaken confidence in the judging standards of Muay Thai at this SEA Games, leading to calls for the Amateur Muay Thai Association of Thailand to investigate the "insider information" reported by the athlete.
