FIBA and BAS Impose Lifetime Bans on Two Ex-Adroit Players for Match Manipulation

Two former players of Singapore basketball club Adroit have been handed lifetime bans by FIBA and the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) for match-fixing offenses. Ukrainian nationals Oleksandr Kolchenko and Sergii Pryimak were found guilty of manipulating games during the Basketball Champions League Asia-East competition in May 2025.

Ban Details

FIBA imposed the lifetime bans on May 20, 2026, prohibiting the pair from participating in any FIBA or FIBA-related competitions or activities in any capacity. BAS confirmed that the sanctions apply to all its own tournaments and events as well. Kolchenko was found to have manipulated Adroit's game against New Taipei Kings International, as well as a separate fixture against Hi Tech Club earlier in the same tournament. Pryimak was found guilty of manipulating the match against New Taipei Kings International.

Association Response

In a statement released on July 15, 2026, BAS described the actions as "unacceptable actions which have severely undermined the principles of fair play and impacted the reputation of Singapore basketball." The association reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward match-fixing, adding that it will "continue to actively monitor all sanctioned tournaments and events" and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against anyone found to have compromised fair play.

Broader Context in Singapore Basketball

The bans follow a wider investigation into match manipulation in Singapore basketball. In 2025, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau arrested nine people suspected of involvement in fixing matches in the K. Star National Basketball League Division 1. Several of those investigated were players from that season, who were suspended from official basketball activities by Sport Singapore. One allegedly fixed game was the August 1, 2025 fixture between Tagawa and Tong Whye, which Tagawa won 66-43. Adroit players who had been suspended during that investigation later took part in the semi-finals, leading to the postponement of the final and the club's subsequent disqualification from the tournament.

Global Match-Fixing Landscape

Separate reports from around the same period highlight ongoing concerns over sports integrity. A Brazilian study concluded that 58% of the country's adult population associates sports betting with match-fixing, following several football suspensions earlier in the week. Meanwhile, a Sportradar study earlier in the year found that global match-fixing incidents across multiple sports continued to decline throughout 2025.