A video clip of a Thai footballer shoving a Lao team member who tried to get him onto a stretcher during a match has sparked an uproar from Thai and Lao netizens who slammed him for poor sportsmanship.
The match was the final round of the 16th Asean University Games' football tournament between Thailand and Laos. The match was held in Vientiane last Wednesday. Thailand won 2-0.
Kriangkrai Pimrat, 24, went down after a challenge by a Lao player in the 32nd minute of the game. The Thai player pushed away one of the staff who tried to assist him onto a stretcher.
In the 59th minute of the game, Kriangkrai was substituted after he went down again from another challenge. Kriangkrai taunted the booing home crowd and the medical staff who rushed to help him.
"Kriangkrai has no manners. He should not be an athlete and should not be a university student. His misbehaviour is ruining his country's reputation and he should not be allowed to represent his country," said a Lao commentator.
Reports said the angry crowd threw bottles at Kriangkrai (not in the video clip) as the Thai player headed off the field. Other Thai players were unhappy with the incident and decided to stop competing.
Police had to step in and take control of the crowd. The match was stopped for more than five minutes.
Another Thai football player reacted inappropriately after he went down from a professional foul in the last minutes of the match.
Angry fans posted hate comments on social networks and web boards as the video highlight of the incident was spread around the internet.
Netizens on Facebook said, "it's players like this who give the Thai football community a bad name", and "shameful athletes like these deserve to be hit by a car".
"As a Thai, I would like to apologise for these footballers' disgusting behaviour," said a netizen on Sanook. Another netizen on the same website said, "what a disgraceful victory."
"People should not believe everything they see. I have heard from a source that the Thai players behaved badly because they were verbally provoked by the crowd and the coach," said a netizen on Pantip.