SINGAPORE -Former Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has confessed to consuming cannabis while he was on short-term disruption from full-time national service (NS) in May.
The break was to allow the swimmer, who enlisted in January. to train and participate in the May 12-23 SEA Games in Hanoi, where he won two golds and a bronze.
In a statement on Tuesday (Aug 30), national sports body Sport Singapore revealed that the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) had investigated Schooling, 27, and fellow national swimmer Amanda Lim, 29, for the consumption of cannabis.
Lim,who won a silver in the womens 50m freestyle and was part of the gold-winning womens 4x100m freestyle quartet in Vietnam, was subsequently issueda stern warning by the CNB under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Schooling, whose urine tests for controlled drugsreturned negative, was referred to the Ministry of Defenceas he is currently undergoing national service.
Mindef has placed him on an SAF-supervised urine test regime as part of the treatment and rehabilitation process. He was also issued a formal letter of warning.
In a separate statement, Mindef noted that given his abuse of disruption privileges, Schooling would no longer be eligible for leave or disruption to train or compete while in NS. This means he will likely miss next years SEA Games in Cambodia as well as the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The ministry added that the Singapore Armed Forcesmaintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drug abuse. Service personnel who test positive for drug abuse will be charged and sentenced toSAF detention barracks.
Those who are suspected of abusing drugs willbe placed on an SAF-supervised urine test regime.
SportSGreiterated a similar stance, noting that all Team Singapore athletes are expected to uphold the highest standards of conduct and that unlawful or unsportsmanlike conduct will not be condoned.
Lim and Schooling, as national athletes, receive support -both financial and in other areas -from SportSG.
SportSG said it intends toreview the circumstances behind the incident, and determine the appropriate steps to be taken.
The Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) and the Singapore National Olympic Council will also be reviewing what steps to take.
SSA president Mark Chay expressed disappointment at the pair’s actions and added: “Drugs have no place in our society and we take a zero-tolerance stance towards illegal drug use. This message, along with the expectations for our national athletes to uphold the highest standards of conduct, will be strongly reinforced amongst our community through our national coaches and affiliates.” Joseph Schooling has apologised for consuming cannabis after he confessed to taking the drug overseas in May. PHOTO: JOSEPH ISAAC SCHOOLING/FACEBOOK More On This Topic 'I gave in to a moment of weakness': Schooling sorry for his 'bad judgment' in using drugs Sports fraternity shocked by Schooling's admission of cannabis use It is an offence to consume drugs in Singapore and in Vietnam.
In Singapore, those found guilty of taking a controlled drug such as methamphetamine or “Ice”, heroin and cannabis can be jailed for between one and 10 years, or fined an amount not exceeding $20,000, or both.
Those found to have consumed controlled drugs outside Singapore will also be liable for the drug consumption offence.
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. Remote video URL More On This Topic A dream unfolds, and it hurts He received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Singapore, with thousands thronging the streets to hail him during a bus-top parade.
Sponsors lined up to court him, with brands such as fashion label Hugo Boss, probiotic drink Yakult and imaging and optical products manufacturer Canon inking deals with the swimmer.
His 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. Remote video URL 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 even advance out of the heats. He eventually finished 44th in the field of 55.
He enlisted for NS in January though he was still able to race at the Singapore National Age Group Championshipsand the SEA Games – his most recent competitive outing. Remote video URL Competing in four events, down from the six he entered at the last Games in 2019, he still managed to pick up two golds and a bronze in Hanoi.
There was also heartbreak at home with the death of his beloved father Colin in November. The senior Schooling, who had been instrumental in his son’s success, died at 73 following a battle with liver cancer. Joseph Schooling with his parents May and Colin at Parliament House in 2016. Joseph Schooling had received a 30-second long standing ovation in Parliament for his historic gold medal achievement at the Rio Olympics. PHOTO: ST FILE More On This Topic Colin Schooling, father of Olympic champion Joseph, dies aged 73 Lunch With Sumiko: May Schooling, Singapore's most famous mum In April, Schooling revealed that he had “actually retired for a few hours on a given day before the Singapore National Age Group Championships”.
He added that he had made that decision not because he no longer had the motivation to compete, but “due to existential circumstances”.
But he made a U-turn and decided to continue.
He said: “I still have a lot of goals and things I want to prove to myself.” More On This Topic Authorities worldwide give warnings after Thailand legalises weed 'Everyone I knew in school was smoking weed,' says Singaporean overseas student Your browser does not support iframes, but you can use the following link: Link
