Ian Sangalang denies game-fixing allegations, to take legal action against Singapore businessman —report

PBA player Ian Sangalang is reportedly set to take legal action after his name was implicated in allegations of game-fixing in Singapore last week.

In a report on the PBA’s website, the Magnolia center denied any connection to Singaporean businessman Koa Wei Quan, who is facing 14 graft charges in the State Courts in Singapore for allegedly attempting to influence games in the PBA as well as in Thailand.

The PBA website said that Sangalang is set to take appropriate action against the Singapore national.

“Hindi ko kilala ‘yung tao na ‘yun. Hindi totoo ‘yun,” Sangalang told league commissioner Willie Marcial during their talk on Monday.

“Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang career at dangal ko sa ganung bagay.”

(I don’t know that person. That’s not true... I won’t trade my career and my honor for that kind of thing.)

On Saturday, a report published by The Straits Times said that Koa had allegedly offered $70,000 in bribes to fix basketball games in the Philippines and in Thailand.

Aside from Sangalang, also included in the report were unnamed players from PBA team Blackwater. Court documents, the Straits Times reported, also showed that bribes were offered to Filipino basketball player Almond Vosotros, who was playing in Thailand at the time.

Vosotros had also earlier stated that he was surprised to hear his name involved in the report.

"Alam naman ng lahat na naglaro ako sa Thailand ng 2018, second team ko nga 'yan after ko sa Mono. Nagulat lang ako bakit ako nadawit diyan sa issue na 'yan," Vosotros told GMA Integrated News last Saturday in a message.

("Everyone knows I played in Thailand in 2018, that was my second team after Mono. I'm surprised why I'm being involved in this issue.")

Marcial had previously said that they will conduct an investigation into the matter.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News