BASKETBALL BODY TO HOLD NEW ELECTION

SportSG was ready to withdraw funding for BAS after finding issues with recent polls

- David Lee Senior Sports Correspondent

More than two months after its annual general meeting to appoint its office-bearers, the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) will hold a fresh election after it was directed by Sport Singapore (SportSG) to do so.

The Straits Times understands that SportSG emailed the BAS on Nov 24 highlighting irregularities in the election process and asked the national sports association (NSA) to conduct anew vote or face the withdrawal of funding from the national agency.

In the email, it also asked the NSA to engage clubs who have players in ongoing match-fixing investigations to agree to sit out the new election, either as voting members or nominees, on a provisional basis.

If the BAS chose not to conduct a fresh vote overseen by an independent elections committee, it had to show cause by Dec 8 as to why SportSG should not terminate or suspend its annual funding, end the secondment of BAS chief executive officer Leon Neo and the tenancy of the Geylang East National Training Centre.

The BAS was given until Dec 1 to respond and has complied on deadline night after a board meeting to inform SportSG it will hold a fresh election.

Responding to queries, a SportSG spokesperson confirmed that the Nov 24 email was sent in consultation with international basketball federation Fiba, and it has received BAS’ positive response to proceed with the election of board members and “rectify the issues raised”.