SINGAPORE: Singapore swimming star Joseph Schooling is facing an investigation over an allegedly boozy night out at the Asian Games which ended in the early hours.
The Singapore National Olympic Council said it had been told “three athletes returned to the athletes’ village in the early hours” of Saturday.
“We will investigate further after the Games,” it said in a statement published in local media yesterday.
“We have reminded all remaining athletes and officials to be responsible for their actions and to keep the team managers updated of their movements,” the body added.
Singapore’s Today newspaper said the three included 19-year-old Schooling and two other Singaporean swimmers, Roanne Ho and Teo Zhen Ren.
The trio “were escorted to their apartments by village security officials upon their return,” the newspaper said, adding they had gone out without the delegation’s permission.
Schooling set a Games record of 51.76sec when he won the 100m butterfly last Wednesday, becoming the first male Singaporean swimmer to claim Asian Games gold since 1982.
He has also won a silver and a bronze in Incheon, to add to the Commonwealth silver he won in Glasgow in July.
But Singaporean media rallied around Schooling, whose successes have been celebrated at home.
“Get Schooling a beer. No, get that man a Tiger,” wrote Tan Xing Qi on local website Mothership.sg, referring to the Singaporean lager.
“Don’t be too harsh on our golden boy,” read the front page of The New Paper tabloid. AFP
Joseph Schooling is to be investigated over an alleged boozy outing at the Asian Games.