SSC reacts to swimmer controversy
UPDATE
The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will take extra steps to ensure that the recent controversy surrounding former national swimmer Jeffrey Su will not happen again.
SSC chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin plans to visit all athletes on the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Sportsmen Scheme (SSS) on the need to train hard and give their best, reported The Straits Times.
"I have also gone the extra step to actually begin speaking to these athletes to remind them of the importance of serving National Service and why it is crucial in Singapore," he added.
The former military officer was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a nationwide well-wishing campaign for Team Singapore athletes at the FairPrice Xtra @ nex on Thursday.
This came after SSC chief of sports development group Bob Gambardella's announcement on Wednesday that all SSS athletes, coaches and national sports associations will be required to sign a Letter of Undertaking.
This will act as an additional level of deterrence for those thinking of flouting the rules.
Lim also admitted that the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) and the SSC have some soul-searching to do. He also urged the public not to "demonise" Su and coach Gary Tan as they must take into account the duo's glory and unquestionable commitment to the sport.
"It's an unfortunate lapse in judgement on their part. They know they have to be held accountable, because this underpins the trust behind a successful collaboration between the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the sporting fraternity," he said.
Meanwhile, coach Tan has apologised for his poor judgement in marking Su's attendance for the training sessions the latter missed.
He admitted that he had made a blunder and now wants to put the incident behind him and focus on training his swimmers for the SEA Games from 11 to 22 November.
"Jeffrey Su was my swimmer. I made a mistake. I had been negligent and it is my responsibility to own up," Tan told the same paper.
Tan will now serve a one-year suspension from national coach duties. While his work at his club Swimfast Aquatic will not be affected, the 29-year-old will not be allowed to travel to the Games with his six swimmers.
When news of Tan's ban broke, members of the swimming community felt that the SSA should have shouldered some of the blame as well, and were surprised it got away scot-free.
Su went away without leave (AWOL) for 11 sessions of sports training last year between June and November when part of the SSS. He has since been charged by Mindef and fine S$750.
Su was part of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Sportsmen Scheme, which allowed athletes to take leave from their duties to train or compete. He was also part of the gold-winning 4x100 freestyle relay team at the 2009 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games.
However, it is unlikely that Su will be affected by any ban as he is no longer swimming competitively.
Su, said that, at the time of his absences, he was coping with the death of his father, Soh Lye Huat, who had died after being struck by lightning while playing golf.
