Unpaid salary claims, postponed game add to Indian Panthers’ debut season woes

The Indian Panthers' turbulent debut in the National Basketball League came to a head on Tuesday after allegations surfaced on social media of unpaid salaries and growing dissatisfaction in the squad.

Parveen Batish, CEO of the Panthers, said the issues had since been resolved, acknowledging there had been some delays in salary payments.

"We have been a bit slow in terms of payment, but that has been rectified," Batish said Wednesday. "The actual amount that was owed was $3200."

The Panthers' game against the Canterbury Rams on Tuesday night was postponed after the team was unable to field enough players.

The situation then escalated after former Panthers player Alex Robinson Jr., who parted ways with the team earlier this month, posted a pointed message on Instagram on Tuesday evening alleging that he had not been paid.

"Dear @indianpanthersofficial. I was part of your organisation for two months, during which I gave my full commitment, effort and passion to every game. Unfortunately, I was repeatedly promised payment that was never fulfilled," he wrote.

"This situation not only impacts me personally but also affects my son and my family. I sincerely hope you find it within your hearts to honour your commitments and compensate all of us who gave our blood, sweat and tears to represent and support this organisation."

Robinson has since joined the Nelson Giants.

The Panthers' inaugural season has been fraught with challenges.

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.

Further turbulence hit in March when head coach Miles Pearce resigned just two days before the Panthers' first home game.

The team is yet to register a win after nine matches and, since April, has shifted its base from Bruce Pulman Arena in South Auckland to Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre.

'This won't happen again'

Batish said player payments would not be an issue in future.

"This won't happen again. Our primary aim is to give Indian players the opportunity to play in a league that's been going for over 40 years and is well established," he said.

He said he had spoken with the entire squad, and they had agreed to play in the next game.

"I just want to put ... in perspective what the issue is. Everyone thinks this is all about player payments," Batish said. "This is not the case. This is about an individual running their agenda to bring the game and the team into disrepute."

He did not name the individual but confirmed they are no longer part of the organisation.

Batish denied claims that Robinson left the team due to payment issues, claiming the delay was only with the final installment and was tied to his contract's termination.

He said Robinson left one game at halftime, returned home and packed his bags.

"[Robinson] didn't talk about money," Batish said. "He was talking about the fact that he has to look after the stats, and that's important for his next game. He wasn't scoring points in that match."

Robinson told RNZ on Wednesday he simply acted in the same way as the other players acted on Tuesday evening, referring to allegations that payments were outstanding.

"A month ago, I sat out because of the same thing the players currently are going through. … I wasn't paid what I was owed," Robinson said.

"The way I left was a reflection of how they communicated with us. I wanted to do the same thing they did to us, just like the current players just did."

Batish said most of Robinson's payments were made during his time with the team and only a small amount remained upon termination of his contract, an amount that had since been settled.

Looking ahead, Batish said the team planned to bring in more Indian players and reduce its reliance on Kiwi talent.

"As far as the community is concerned, we failed in that we haven't had the Indian talent that we wanted," he said.

"We need to rectify that before we can go any further. That's no different to the message I gave eight weeks ago when we first started. We just haven't delivered."

Batish said the team had moved to Franklin to reduce costs, potentially halving matchday expenses.

"It's not about where we live. This is about actually showing that we have Indian players at the heart of our team, and that's what we want to show going forward," Batish said.

"We're not the Takanini Panthers. We're called the Indian Panthers."

Despite the team's winless opening run, Batish said he wasn't overly concerned.

"I'm not too concerned about the win, to be honest with you," he said.

"We're not the only team without a win. It's not about the wins and losses. It's about whether we're living up to what we said we would.

"And right now, no, we're not. In the future - 100% - we will be. That's what we have to do."

NBL responds

In a statement, the National Basketball League and Basketball New Zealand convened a meeting Wednesday with representatives from all 12 teams in the league, including the Indian Panthers.

The statement said the league had been made aware of delayed payments to Indian Panthers' players and staff on 25 April and a formal meeting had taken place on Monday.

"On the morning of Tuesday 29 April, the league was informed that a number of Panthers players had received payment, and plans were in place for the game against the Rams to proceed," the statement said.

"However, prior to tip-off, Panthers players elected not to take the court, and the league made the decision to postpone the game."

The National Basketball League said it was currently working through a number of options regarding the future of the Indian Panthers in the competition and would make another statement within the next 24 hours.