SEA Games: Malaysia file protest after Izzah's gold medal revocation

Malaysia have filed a formal protest to the Philippine SEA Games Organising Committee (PHISGOC) following the revocation of a gold medal won by national gymnast Izzah Amzan.

The latest medal audit on the official 2019 SEA Games website showed that Izzah's gold medal in the ribbon event was revoked.

Malaysia's SEA Games 2019 chef-de-mission, Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, said the matter should not have happened as the medal presentation was held right after the event ended.

"It was not an easy task, as it involved the image of the participating countries and they [PHISGOC] had accepted our protest, and I told them to re-enter the gold medal [in the medal tally] later today," he told a special media conference on Monday.

Megat Zulkarnain noted that Malaysia would extend the matter to the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) if the issue was not resolved by PHISGOC.

"Through a meeting [with PHISGOC representatives] this morning, I presented several clauses in the technical book and I think they understood and agreed.

"What we regretted was [the decision] made by the technical delegation [in the rhythmic gymnastics competition]," he added.

Megat Zulkarnain also said that the issue of the joint gold medal in the rhythmic gymnastics had occurred in Singapore in 2015 when Malaysia's Koi Sie Yan and Shasangari Sivaneswari Nagarajan were named as the joint winners of the individual all-round event.

Tidak masuk akal.Di atas nasihat PENGANJUR, saya sendiri kalungkan pingat emas Izzah.Mengikut Teknikal Handbook PENGANJUR pun, membenarkan pingat emas Izzah.I will not tolerate this.#TeamMAS telah protest dan tuntut keadilan.https://t.co/2rt73eZf1j
— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) December 9, 2019

Malaysia Gymnastics Federation (MGF) president Rachel Lau was also reported to have sent an official protest to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) following several controversial decisions involving the national gymnasts.

Koi and Izzah scored an identical 15.200 points in the ribbon apparatus on Saturday, but the jury declared them as the gold and silver medal winners respectively based on their routine level of difficulties.

The competition technical delegates, however, declared the two national gymnasts as joint winners after the national camp protested against the jury’s initial decision.