Indian Panthers players reportedly return to India as termination deadline nears
Photo:
RNZ / Blessen Tom
The South Asian players who were recruited in the Indian Panthers squad have returned to India, RNZ understands.
A source inside the squad told RNZ that all three Indian players who had been playing in the National Basketball League for the franchise landed in India on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a former staff member of the franchise said the trio had flown out of Auckland earlier Sunday.
RNZ has approached the Indian Panthers and the National Basketball League for comment.
On 9 May, the franchise was given 10 days to meet specific conditions to
avoid being ejected from the league
.
The league gave the Panthers until 19 May to prove their financial sustainability, among other things, to allow them to stay in the league.
The team was suspended on 1 May after the league received allegations of contractual breaches, including unpaid salaries and internal unrest.
Photo:
RNZ / Blessen Tom
Tensions flared on 29 April when Panthers players refused to take the court against the Canterbury Rams in protest over delayed payments, resulting in the match being postponed.
The situation escalated further after former Panthers player Alex Robinson Jr. posted a pointed message on Instagram, alleging he had not been paid.
Robinson has since left the team and signed with the Nelson Giants.
The turmoil was the latest in a series of setbacks the team has faced in their debut season.
The team played without any of the 10 Indian players originally named in the squad in their season opener against the Hawke's Bay Hawks on 12 March due to international commitments.
The Panthers faced another setback in March when head coach Miles Pearce resigned just two days ahead of their first home game.
After nine matches without a league win, the team relocated its South Auckland base in April from Bruce Pulman Arena in Takanini to the Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre in Pukekohe.
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