Match-fixing saga drags on as NBL final put on hold

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.

- David Lee

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.