S'pore Swimming Association to support Schooling and Lim so they 'won't repeat their misstep'
The Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) has pledged to be part of Joseph Schooling and Amanda Lim's rehabilitative journey in the wake of the duo's admission to have consumed drugs in the past.
In a Facebook post on Thursday night, it expressed its disappointment over the matter.
It added: "We have worked alongside Joseph and Amanda daily to achieve their performance targets, and struggled with them when they faced challenges in the past. We will continue to journey with them and support the athletes so that they do not repeat their misstep."
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Schooling, the country's only Olympic gold medallist, confessed to consuming cannabis when in Vietnam for the SEA Games in May.
The 27-year-old has been dealt with by the Ministry of Defence as he is undergoing national service and the incident occurred while he was on short-term disruption due to the Hanoi Games.
He was placed on a six-month urine-testing regime and his leave and disruption privileges were revoked, meaning he will not be able to travel for next year's SEA and Asian Games.
National agency Sport Singapore stated that Lim, 29, was issued a stern warning by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Both tested negative for controlled drugs but issued apologies for their mistakes.
On Tuesday, SSA president Mark Chay said that it will work with SportSG and Singapore National Olympic Council to "review the facts of the case and the appropriate steps to take". The SNOC will be convening a disciplinary committee to investigate the matter.
Chay 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."
The SSA also made a request for the privacy of the athletes and their families to be respected, and urged "everyone not to add to the speculation" as its review is being conducted.
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