Schooling confesses to taking cannabis

Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling has confessed to consuming cannabis when in Vietnam for May's SEA Games while he was on short-term disruption from full-time national service (NS).

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) yesterday said he would no longer be eligible for leave or disruption to train or compete while in NS. This means he will likely miss next year's SEA Games in Cambodia as well as the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

He has also been put on a six-month urine-testing regime, with Mindef warning that a positive test during this period will result in him being charged and sentenced.

In a statement, the 27-year-old swimmer, who won two golds and a bronze in Hanoi, apologised, saying: "I am sorry that my actions have caused hurt to everyone around me, especially to my family and the young fans who look up to me. I gave in to a moment of weakness after going through a very tough period of my life. I demonstrated bad judgment and I am sorry.

"I made a mistake and I'm responsible for what I've done. I will make amends and right what is wrong. I won't let you down again."

Sport Singapore (SportSG) revealed yesterday that the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) had investigated Schooling and fellow national swimmer Amanda Lim, 29, for consumption of cannabis.

Lim, who won a silver in the women's 50m freestyle and was part of the gold-winning women's 4x100m freestyle quartet in Vietnam, was issued a stern warning by CNB.

She said: "There is no excuse, and I will take the warning given to me seriously and reflect on my mistakes. My swimming career has been filled with many ups and downs over the past decade. Throughout the wins and losses, I've always strived to be better in and out of the pool.

"I will continue to work fully with Sport Singapore for the next steps to be taken and do my best to become a better version of myself."

After getting caught, Schooling was referred to Mindef as he is currently serving NS, which he began in January. Besides being stripped of his sportsman's privileges, he was also issued with a formal letter of warning.

Mindef said his subsequent urine tests for controlled drugs returned negative, but warned him that all SAF personnel who test positive during the urine-testing regime will be charged and face up to nine months in the detention barracks.

Like Mindef, SportSG said it maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drug abuse and that it intends to review the circumstances behind the incident, and determine the appropriate steps to be taken. Both athletes receive support from the agency.

The Singapore Swimming Association and Singapore National Olympic Council will also conduct their own reviews.

Under Singapore's laws, any citizen or permanent resident found to have consumed controlled drugs outside Singapore will also be liable for the drug consumption offence. Checks are done regularly at various checkpoints.

Schooling wrote himself into sporting folklore when he claimed Singapore's first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games, beating American legend Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly final. His timing of 50.39s is still a national record.

He received a hero's welcome back in Singapore, and sponsors - including fashion label Hugo Boss, probiotic drink Yakult and imaging and optical products manufacturer Canon - lined up to court him.

A three-year deal with DBS Bank netted him a seven-figure sum, which put him in a select group of local athletes who have crossed the million-dollar mark in career earnings, including footballer Fandi Ahmad, golfer Mardan Mamat, and table tennis players Li Jiawei and Feng Tianwei.

But Schooling has yet to replicate the highs of 2016. In Rio, his winning time was 50.39 seconds. His best time since then was the 50.83 he clocked at the World Championships in July 2017.

At the Tokyo Olympics in August last year, he was unable to defend his 100m fly title, failing to advance out of the heats. He eventually finished 44th in the field of 55.

There was also heartbreak with the death of his beloved father Colin last November. The senior Schooling, who had been instrumental in his son's success, died at 73 after a battle with liver cancer.

In April, Schooling revealed he had "actually retired for a few hours on a given day before the SNAG". He added that he had made that decision "due to existential circumstances". SNAG is the Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships, a local meet.

But he made a U-turn and decided to continue, adding: "I still have a lot of goals and things I want to prove to myself."