SINGAPORE - Jonathan Chua does not understand what the fuss is all about. The teenage footballer is receiving plaudits from far and wide for something he believes everybody should be doing anyway.

Doing the right thing.

The 17-year-old Raffles Institution (RI) forward recently became the centre of attention when he refused a penalty in his side’s 3-1 defeat by Anglo-Chinese Junior College in the second round of the Schools National A Division Football Championships.

With the clock ticking down and his side trailing 2-1, Jonathan dashed into the penalty area and fell over while executing a turn, just as a defender was sliding in with a challenge. The referee pointed straight to the spot but Jonathan remarkably persuaded the referee to overturn the decision as he had not felt any contact from the ACJC defender.

“The referee awarded the penalty but I knew straight away that it was not right because there was no contact. I told the referee and she said that she had already made a decision,” said Jonathan.

“But I went back to her again, telling her that she was wrong. She discussed it with her assistant referee and eventually awarded a goal kick.”

According to former referees that TODAY spoke with, a referee can change his decision as long as play has not been restarted. While the penalty is a form of restart, it had not been taken yet. As such, the match official in that game can reverse her decision as the penalty had not been taken.

This act of sportsmanship earned Jonathan plenty of praise and admiration, as most footballers will do anything and everything to ensure their team leave the pitch triumphant - even to the extent of play acting to gain an edge.

This is exactly what irked the teenager.

“I personally don’t think there should be so much hype about what I did,” the eldest of two siblings said. “It’s disappointing that most people are surprised and it sadly reflects what most players would have done in professional football.”

ACJC went on to score a third goal and booked their place in the semi-finals, leaving RI in need of a win in their final match against Temasek Junior College on Tuesday (April 26) to seal a place in the final four. RI beat Temasek 3-1 on Tuesday evening with Jonathan on the scoresheet.

While the teenager’s act of refusing a penalty against ACJC initially sparked surprise among his team-mates, they were proud of him after he explained why he did it.

“After the game we reflected on the incident and felt he did the right thing and we were all very proud of him for doing what he did,” said RI captain Ashwin Unnithan. “He is a unique character who always gives 100 per cent, and his actions on and off the pitch are to be admired.”

Added RI head coach Muhammad Iqbal: “I think what Jonathan did against ACJC was really incredible as many others in the same situation would probably not have done it. I am very proud of him.”

Asked if he would do something similar if the stakes were higher, in a Cup final for example, Jonathan did not hesitate when he said: “No matter what the situation, I will always play fair and by the rulebook. Simply because it’s the right thing to do.”