After SEA Games and Commonwealth Games medallist Teong Tzen Wei was revealed to be the third national swimmer investigated for drug-related offences, Sport Singapore said on Wednesday (Sept 28) that it would temporarily suspend support for all three athletes.
However, netizens have not been happy with SportSG’s response.
In late August, Schooling, Singapore’s first Olympic gold medalist, and Lim, a SEA Games champion, were both found to have consumed a controlled drug.
Schooling confessed to doing so in May when he was on short-term disruption from full-time National Service (NS) to train and participate in this year’s SEA Games.
Lim was issued a stern warning by CNB under the Misuse of Drugs Act and Schooling was issued a formal letter of warning by the Ministry of Defence “informing him of the serious consequences of drug abuse meted out to all SAF personnel, who may be sentenced up to nine months detention in the SAF Detention Barracks.”
Schooling is no longer eligible for leave or disruption to train or compete while in National Service.
Both swimmers issued a public apology shortly afterwards.
On Wednesday (Sept 28), it was reported that Teong was the third athlete under investigation. The swimmer admitted to having consumed controlled drugs overseas and was also issued a letter of warning.
In the course of the investigation by the CNB, all three athletes tested negative for controlled drugs. However, they admitted that they had used drugs during the time that they were TeamSG athletes.
SportSG will suspend support for Schooling, Lim, and Teong for one month, which means that their training assistance grants are temporarily withheld.
The trio will not have access to sports science and sports medicine facilities & services during their suspension, said SportSG in a statement.
Teong issued an apology on Wednesday, saying “This is something I deeply regret doing and as an elite athlete, I should have known better.
I accept the sanctions given to me and I understand that as a national athlete, I have to adhere to a code of conduct that governs all athletes who wear the Singapore flag. I will strive to be a better version of myself and come back from this stronger.”
Sport SG noted that the three athletes “had expressed remorse for their lapses in judgment, and have appealed to be given a second chance to prove themselves and fulfil their roles and responsibilities as national athletes.”
Many netizens, however, seemed unhappy with SportSG’s response, even if the suspension meted out is only for one month.
/TISG