Singapore wins first SEA Games e-sports gold medal after controversial Valorant final; Indonesia named joint champions

SINGAPORE: Singapore claimed its first SEA Games e-sports gold medal on Thursday (May 11) after a controversial Valorant grand final in Phnom Penh.

Indonesia had initially forfeited the final to protest a decision made by tournament officials, handing the gold to Singapore. However, the organisers later awarded the two teams joint gold following a review.

According to reports in Indonesian media, Indonesia's team claimed that the Singapore side had used a bug in the tactical first-person shooter to gain an unfair advantage.

Indonesia lodged a protest with the officials and later forfeited the match after deeming their response to be inadequate.

Singapore’s team of Yeoh Chun Ting, Ingram Tan, Marcus Tan, Rodman Yap, Tidus Goh and Ayrton Soh were therefore awarded the gold medal. Then came the decision to award both teams joint gold.

A Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) spokesperson said in a statement: "We are pleased to win Singapore's first gold medal in e-sports, and would like to commend our Valorant team on a solid performance.

"We accept the organiser's decision on awarding joint gold medals to both Singapore and Indonesia, and offer our congratulations to our friends at Komite Olimpiade Indonesia (Indonesian Olympic Committee)."

Before the final decision was made, Singapore's Tidus Goh, also known as Styron, said on Twitter that he was receiving threats on social media.

He said the team had "read the rules" and obeyed every decision, but were "still labeled cheaters".

"What a way to take away every honour the medal carries," Goh added.

Singapore had made it to the final after finishing third in the group stage of the tournament and beating Vietnam in the semi-final.

E-sports was introduced at the SEA Games in 2019, and