Indian Panthers official NBL withdrawal
- Dave Worsley
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Indian Panthers have withdrawn from the Sal’s NBL acknowledging that they are not in a position to meet the requirements of the League to complete the season for a variety of reasons.
The NBL put out the following message.explaining how an agreement had been met between the two parties.
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The Commission of the Sal’s NBL met and resolved to accept the Panthers’ withdrawal subject to finalisation of an agreement regarding the Panthers honouring outstanding obligations.
These obligations include payments to creditors, including players and staff, as well as compensation to the League, consequently, the Panthers will no longer compete in the competition, effective immediately.
The Panthers have co-operated with League management during an ongoing investigation that was launched in late April and have accepted responsibility for falling short on delivering the vision and outcomes that were originally presented to the League when being awarded the license last September.
The Panthers accept that they have not delivered what they set out to achieve and apologised to their supporters and fans and all those involved in the League.
As a result of the Panthers withdrawal, the NBL Commission has advised the 2025 season will now be completed with 11 teams, and all results from the nine games played by the Panthers in the Sal’s NBL and Sky Broadband Rapid League will be removed entirely.
The Commission resolved that the integrity and equitable balance of the Sal’s NBL required the removal of all results as the fairest outcome to all remaining participants.
With regards to the League’s now-vacant 12th license, the Commission noted that management has been contacted over the past fortnight from three interested potential owners. However, no decisions will be made until a review of the 2025 Sal’s NBL has been completed.
Indian Panthers issued the following staement:
When we embarked on the Panthers project, our shared vision was to provide Indian players with a platform to develop and showcase their talents on a respected and historically significant stage. That vision remains unchanged. However, the journey has presented unforeseen challenges.
While some obstacles were within our control, others were not. In hindsight, fielding a team abroad for five months has proven more complex than anticipated, and we do not foresee a resolution in the immediate future. Therefore, we have proposed withdrawing from the current season and discontinuing our remaining games.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to our original vision and are eager to explore opportunities for collaboration in future seasons. We believe that, with the right adjustments and planning, we can overcome the current challenges and achieve our shared goals. We deeply regret the situation and assure you that this outcome was never our intention.
Sal’s NBL Commission chair Tracey Garland issued the following statement:
"While this is an unfortunate outcome to what was a very exciting vision to expand our basketball competition across New Zealand and the Asian region, the Panthers did not deliver what they had promised, for which they have taken responsibility.
Despite our disappointment, over the last seven years the innovations our basketball leagues have shown, in both the men’s and women’s competitions, are viewed across New Zealand sport as being bold, courageous and largely successful – we value being leaders in this space and we will continue to look to grow the Leagues."
