BASKETBALL/10 basketball players banned for life amid game fixing, betting probe

Taipei, Nov. 21 (CNA) Taiwan's basketball governing body said Tuesday that it has handed lifetime bans to 10 players accused of game fixing and breaches of betting rules.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) said it has revoked the registration of nine former players from the semi-professional Super Basketball League's (SBL) Yulon Luxgen Dinos players and one from the Taiwan Beer Leopards of the professional T1 LEAGUE.

The nine former Dinos players are Ko Min-hao (柯旻豪), Chiu Chung-po (邱忠博), Chen Pin-chuan (陳品銓), Huang Hsuan-min (黃鉉閔), Wu Yu-jen (吳祐任), Chou Wei-chen (周暐宸), Yen Wen-tso (顏聞佐), Lee Chi-en (李其恩), and Senegalese forward/center Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Sarr, the association said.

The former Leopards, meanwhile, is Lo Chen-feng (羅振峰), the association added.

Following a disciplinary review, the CTBA said it had banned the 10 players for life from playing in any association-sanctioned leagues in Taiwan.

The 10 are also barred from entering the premises of any team playing in a CTBA-affiliated league, the association added.

Discussions on whether to ban the 10 from being coaches, referees or agents in Taiwan are ongoing, the association said.

On Nov. 18, prosecutors investigating game fixing had a request to detain former Dinos player Ko incommunicado approved by the Shilin District Court.

Ko is currently being held incommunicado, while the eight other Dinos players were released on bail between NT$100,000 (US$3,149) and NT$300,000 after questioning.

Meanwhile, the association said it had temporarily suspended Chen Ching-huan (陳靖寰) of the T1 LEAGUE's Tainan TSG GhostHawks.

On Nov. 1, the GhostHawks said it had asked Chen to take a leave of absence as it investigates possible breaches of league betting rules.