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Singapore national swimmers Amanda Lim, Joseph Schooling and Teong Tzen Wei have met with a number of disciplinary actions after admitting to consumption of controlled drugs.

The decision from SportSG, a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), is to:

• Suspend all support of Lim, Schooling, and Teong as carded athletes under the High Performance Scheme for one month, starting Oct. 1, 2022.

  • This means that the three athletes will not receive training assistance grants and access to sports science and sports medicine facilities and services during this period.

• Withdraw Teong's scholarship benefits for one month.
• Issue a formal letter of warning.

However, there has been some "public discussion" surrounding the actions, SportSG acknowledged.

In a Oct. 7 media statement, the board laid out its considerations behind it, reiterating that the decision was arrived at after an internal review, taking into account several factors such as the athletes’ breach on their agreements, international sporting benchmarks, and Singapore’s stance towards drug abuse.

Referred to World Anti-Doping Agency as benchmark

SportSG listed the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in addition to other "national federations" as benchmarks.

WADA does not impose any sanctions for the use of several controlled drugs (cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy) if ingested outside of competition period.

If an athlete tests positive for these drugs in-competition but can show that it has no relation to their performance, they face a one- to three-month suspension.

A one-month suspension applies if the athlete completes a drug rehabilitation programme.

"SportSG’s decision considered that the athletes’ urine tests returned negative, and the athletes had on their own admitted to consuming cannabis outside of competition in the past," the statement added.

Second chance

The board also cited Singapore's "zero-tolerance stance" and "tough stand" towards drugs, as well as the country's focus on helping those involved to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

"In deciding on the actions, SportSG took a position consistent with Singapore’s stance towards drug abusers, which is to help them rehabilitate, and give the three athletes the chance to make amends."

While athletes must be "held accountable for their lapses of judgment," they should also be given a second chance to prove themselves, SportSG said.

"SportSG will continue to support all three athletes after the period of suspension, in both their sporting endeavours as well as their continued rehabilitation from this episode."

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Top phot via Amanda Lim's, Joseph Schooling's and Teong Tzen Wei's Instagram pages