NBL to conduct review into power outage that impacted Cairns Taipans v Sydney Kings match

December 8, 2023

The National Basketball League (NBL) has announced that it will conduct a full review of its game day operations and processes after Thursday night’s Cairns Taipans v Sydney Kings game.

Play was delayed for 51 minutes at halftime after a power surge at the Cairns Convention Centre led to the failure of multiple operating systems within the venue, with the shot clock not operational after half-time and the venue’s air conditioning also out of order.

NBL Chief Operating Officer, Vince Crivelli stated “we are always looking to learn and improve our processes to ensure our game days run as smoothly as possible albeit there were circumstances out of our control in this instance.

“The League acknowledges it was a difficult situation and a thorough review is already underway to look into the factors that contributed to the issues.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure the resultant issues that were in our control are not repeated and that we implement the necessary changes to prevent any future problems.”

With the League to work closely with the Cairns Convention Centre and Cairns Taipans ahead of next Friday night’s game between the Taipans and New Zealand Breakers, Crivelli noted “the review will be conducted in close consultation with all key stakeholders, with the League seeking a full diagnosis from the venue, and the requirement of some plans and assurances to be put in place to prevent the issues from happening again.”

The League consulted with both coaches and ultimately made the decision to play the second half without a shot clock - in line with NBL rules.

Crivelli added “the League, Taipans, Kings, and the venue all worked together to ensure the game could be completed, which was a key objective.

“We are thankful to Adam Forde and Mahmoud Abdelfattah, and the players from both teams, for agreeing to playing out the second half in what was a thrilling contest. Both clubs showcased tremendous levels of sportsmanship and a desire to uphold the spirit of the game in agreeing to keep playing, which the League is grateful for.

“The referees and officials also deserve acknowledgement for their professionalism and their work in getting the game underway.

“We also need to say a huge thank you to our fans for the patience and understanding they displayed, especially those who were in attendance at the Cairns Convention Centre and stayed for the second half.”

With Cyclone Jasper hovering the weather system is seen as contributing to the power issue.

Cairns Convention Centre was also impacted during a city-wide power out in November 2016, during a Queensland derby between the Taipans and the Brisbane Bullets.

The League will communicate the results of the current review once it is completed.

Image: NBL action at the Cairns Convention Centre. Credit: Cairns Taipans/Facebook.

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