In the lead-up to a tournament in 2015, a national hockey player was caught smoking at a training camp.
He was told to pack up and leave the camp, and was later dropped from the team for the tournament.
Singapore Hockey Federation president Mathavan Devadas said: "We have had a players' agreement since 2011, and the no-smoking clause has been there from day one.
"It affects our image - the national policy is to discourage people from smoking, and there is a very high intolerance for it for the general public - and it definitely affects your athletic performance."
National sports associations The Straits Times (ST) spoke to yesterday said they do not condone athletes who light up, especially if they are in national colours, although they have various ways of dealing with this issue. This comes after the Football Association of Singapore's decision to take a firm stand against smoking within the Young Lions.
Singapore Silat Federation chief executive officer and national coach Sheik Alau'ddin said he would "kick out" a smoker, but allow the athlete back after he stubs out permanently.
"For the younger athletes, we work with the Singapore Sports School and their parents to conduct spot checks and search their schoolbags if we suspect them of smoking," he added. "If they are caught, they are barred from competition."
The Singapore Swimming Association and Singapore Table Tennis Association referred to their athletes' code of conduct and said they would deal with the errant athletes, via an internal disciplinary committee and counselling respectively.
Singapore Slingers general manager Michael Johnson revealed that there are clauses in their contracts that allow the team to take action.
He added: "I'm with our players a lot and if I see them smoke in public, I will take action, but I haven't had to do so in the 10 years I've been here. No one in our team smokes around the team. If they do so behind closed doors privately, it is very hard to police."
Three national skippers told ST that a soft approach might be more effective, with advising and counselling the first options.
National hockey captain Enrico Marican and national netball captain Vanessa Lee said they have not encountered team-mates who light up, but have no qualms about how to deal with the issue.
Lee said: "I would approach them and tell them to stub out if I do see anyone smoking. National athletes are role models to Singaporeans, and people do recognise you."
Enrico added: "I am their captain but also their friend, so I would advise them to stop if they want to become a better player, and find ways to help them. It's better than telling them to butt out, because they may just light up behind you."
National floorball captain Gary Wong concurred, and said he has tried to persuade a fellow player to give up the habit. He said: "It was just a casual conversation. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual's decision to quit."
- Additional reporting by David Lee and Wang Meng Meng
