NBL finalists Adroit outed for fielding ineligible players

National Basketball League (NBL) Division 1 finalists Adroit have been thrown out of the tournament for “fielding suspended and ineligible players” who are under investigation for allegedly fixing league games in their semifinal win over Siglap on Aug 27.

- David Lee Senior Sports Correspondent

The Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) disciplinary committee delivered the verdict on Sept 24, four days after the Zoom hearing. But there was no decision on the date for the final and whether Siglap will take Adroit’s place as default winners of the semifinal clash.

Adroit, the defending champions, were due to face Eng Tat Hornets in the decider, which was moved from Aug 30 to Sept 7, before it was postponed indefinitely.

In its written decision on Sept 24, BAS noted that the provisional suspensions imposed on the two Adroit players “shall remain in force until the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) concludes its investigations” or until further order of the disciplinary committee or appeals committee.

It added: “The suspensions are strictly temporary in nature and serve to preserve the fairness and credibility of BAS competitions until the external investigations are complete.

“Team Adroit is hereby disqualified from the National Basketball League Division 1 competition for fielding suspended and ineligible players in the semifinal... The violation is aggravated by the reliance on statements that were untruthful as to the players’ arrest status.”