The case of the male athlete C. Holding the racquet to attack the referee in a match within the Pickleball “King Friendship Open” in Hai Phong is causing a stir in the sports public opinion.
While many people expect a strict penalty to deter, the reaction from the organizers made experts and the community worried, with mixed opinions.
Immediately after the incident, the organizers of the tournament issued a decision to eliminate athlete C. from the tournament, and banned him from attending events held by them within 12 months. However, the communication of the organizers makes many people not really reassuring.
The head of the organizers said: “Nothing is too serious, the athletes are only hot -tempered in tense situation.” This statement is considered to be somewhat overlooking the serious nature of the incident, especially when the act of assault occurs right on the field in the witness of a large audience and other athletes.
As for experts, reaction shows deep concern. Arbitration Dinh Cong Minh – who has many years of running basketball and sports tournaments – said: “This is a warning bell about the lack of referee protection mechanism, especially in new subjects like Pickleball. When the referee has no support for support, they become completely passive if the collision occurs.”
Some other experts also believe that, in the context of Pickleball thriving in Vietnam but there is a lack of legal basis and organization process, such incidents are inevitable without timely measures.
The mechanism of handling violations, commitments of athletes ethics and especially clear sanctions for sports violence should be established early to prevent repeating similar situations.