Thai Sepak Takraw Team Disputes Asian Games Prize Money Split
After winning gold and silver at the Asian Games, Thailand’s men’s sepak takraw team fell out over how to split the prize money. A solo‑event player demanded a larger share, refused to transfer his portion, and led to calls, family involvement and one player cutting off contact. Mediator Mo Ke Jar Takraw has stepped in to hear both sides and try to resolve the dispute.
Mo Ke Jar Takraw tried to mediate, suggesting a compromise where the player demanding two million could receive that amount if the rest of the team contributed extra money to the twelve training partners who were not on the official squad. One of the solo players agreed in principle but insisted on receiving the full two million and refused to discuss further, especially as the team was rushing to catch a flight. After the prize money was transferred, three solo players sent 1.3 million baht each to a central account for distribution, but two solo players failed to send their share. The athlete responsible for collecting and distributing the money had to chase them, contacting even their families; one player became upset over not receiving the expected amount, while the other became completely unreachable. Mo Ke then stepped in as a go‑between, hearing both sides. The dissatisfied solo player explained that he objected because he believed the seven‑member team should not receive an amount almost equal to that of the solo competitors, and he wanted a larger portion allocated to the twelve training partners instead.
