National Basketball League final postponed again after disciplinary committee hearing adjourned
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The National Basketball League Division 1 semi-finals were played on Aug 27.
PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
Follow topic:
- NBL Division 1 final delayed as defending champions Adroit disputed the disciplinary committee for fielding banned players, citing inadequate notice period, lack of documents and unlawful suspension.
- The BAS had issued suspension letters to eight players – two each from Adroit, Tagawa, Tong Whye and Chong Ghee. Adroit is contesting the validity of the ban as they claim their players do not have any charge against them.
- Fellow finalists Eng Tat are frustrated with the delays, potentially reconsidering further participation.
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SINGAPORE – The National Basketball League (NBL) Division 1 final between Eng Tat Hornets and Adroit scheduled for Sept 7 will be “postponed until further notice”, said the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) on Sept 5.
A disciplinary committee hearing involving Adroit on Sept 5 could not proceed “due to unforeseen circumstances”, said the BAS, after the club insisted that they could not lawfully proceed and that an adjournment was required.
The BAS added that the hearing will be rescheduled “in the interest of fairness and to allow adequate time for due process to take place”.
It said in a statement on Sept 5: “BAS remains firm in its commitment to uphold the integrity of the league. We will take decisive action against any conduct that compromises fair play, and all disciplinary processes will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.”
When contacted, Adroit coach Chan Sian Gay told The Straits Times that they had asked BAS for 14 days’ notice ahead of the hearing and requested for all the relevant documents required for their response.
He added: “Instead, we were given six days’ notice and we have not received any documents up until now.
“We are acting in the best interests of our team and players. Eng Tat are opponents we respect most and I believe like us, they want to beat the best opponents to become the real champions.”
The BAS had originally postponed the final from Aug 30 to Sept 7 and called for a hearing after it noted on Aug 29 that defending champions Adroit “included players who are currently under suspension” in their NBL semi-final win (67-52) over Siglap on Aug 27.
It is understood that these are players who are under investigation for allegedly fixing league games.
On Aug 19, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) announced that it had arrested eight Singaporeans and one permanent resident aged between 19 and 35 for their suspected involvement in match-fixing in the NBL. One of the matches that was allegedly fixed was Tagawa’s 66-43 win over Tong Whye on Aug 1.
In the wake of the arrests, the BAS said on Aug 20 that it would allow the league to continue as scheduled, citing fairness to teams and players who have trained hard for the competition.
It said in a statement then that “any officials or players under arrest or who have been arrested will be immediately suspended from all league activities”.
ST understands that more individuals were subsequently called in by the CPIB to assist with investigations and the BAS issued suspension letters to eight players – two each from Adroit, Tagawa, Tong Whye and Chong Ghee.
However, Chan questioned the BAS’ grounds of suspension, claiming that no charges have been filed against the two players in question and told ST the club’s lawyers had sent a letter of demand to the BAS.
On the day of the semi-final, the two players were allowed to play after signing declaration forms which stated the players had not been arrested for any offence, and did not have any holding charges against them in relation to match-fixing at that time.
It also noted that they were on release under bail or bond.
The BAS was to have convened a disciplinary committee hearing on Aug 29, but the club and players declined to attend, citing the lack of adequate time to prepare for it.
Similarly, they asked for an adjournment of the Sept 5 hearing, which was to decide if Adroit were guilty of misconduct by fielding the suspended players and whether the players had made false declarations.
The committee was also expected to rule if Adroit’s semi-final results should be forfeited and the team disqualified, and how long the players’ suspensions should be.
In its legal correspondence with the BAS, Adroit argued that their players did not have any charges brought against them but were unlawfully suspended without an earlier disciplinary committee hearing.
They also noted that the players had coaching commitments that clashed with the Sept 5 hearing.
Adroit also objected to the inclusion of Tong Whye representative Koh Kah Tiong as one of three disciplinary committee members, alleging that the latter’s club are directly involved in the match-fixing investigations.
As the scandal continues to unfold, Eng Tat team manager Max Nah said that they are “deeply disappointed by the recent developments and how the BAS is managing the situation”. They had edged out SG Basketball 79-73 in the other semi-final.
Noting that none of his players are involved with the CPIB probe, Nah added: “Our team have invested time and effort to prepare for the final, and the late postponement announcement last Friday was extremely frustrating.
“Several of our players had committed to the original schedule and were forced to make last-minute adjustments, which disrupted not only our planning but also the morale of the team.
“It is regrettable that the BAS made these changes without due consideration of our team’s availability and prior commitments.
“Should another postponement occur, we will be seriously reconsidering our continued participation in the tournament.”
