In an interview with a magazine published last year, Singapore’s champion swimmer Joseph Schooling said: “We all make mistakes”. This was in reference to the issues he was dealing with both in and out of the pool. It was an honest statement, and one that is universally accepted, whether in sport or elsewhere.

In May this year, after he had finished competing at the SEA Games in Hanoi, Schooling made a mistake in consuming cannabis while in a celebratory mood. For the majority of the public, judging by the thousands of comments that have flooded social media since news of this incident broke on Tuesday (Aug 30), it is a mistake that warrants some sympathy too.

Former swimming sprint legend Ang Peng Siong, in empathising with the 27-year-old, said: “My roommate in Houston used to take weed. It is acceptable in the United States. Many athletes consume it for different reasons, some for fighting depression.”

Considering the circumstances of the occasion in Hanoi, many people do commiserate with Schooling to a certain degree. But, whatever the case, his actions have contravened the rules – set by Singapore’s sports bodies, the Ministry of Defence (Schooling is currently serving his National Service) and Olympics officials.

There is no question that he has to face the consequences, such as losing his eligibility for leave or disruption to train or compete while serving his NS.

Furthermore, he could miss next year’s SEA Games in Cambodia and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, and he will have to be put on a strict urine-testing regime for the next 6 months.

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“Mea culpa, mea culpa” was Schooling’s correct response as he apologised for his “moment of weakness” and bad judgment after going through a “very tough period” of his life.

So let’s all accept his apology in true Singapore sporting spirit, for all that he’s done for his country, especially in securing the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

That medal definitely did not come easy. As the first newspaper journalist to have interviewed Schooling when he was barely 8 years old, I fully understand the hard toil and struggles that he had to endure in order to make it to the top of that podium, ahead of the decorated American swimmer Michael Phelps, no less.

He didn’t have much time with his family when he was growing up, with mother May Schooling joining him at the Bolles School in Florida when he was 14. The family invested heavily in their child prodigy, be it through the sale of property and investments in order to have him complete his education and swim his way to the pinnacle of the sport.

Over the past year, Schooling suffered much pain. First, in losing his father Colin through cancer, and then through a severe back injury that almost crippled him permanently.

He even contemplated an early retirement from swimming, but his mind and body convinced him he was still good enough to win more medals at future competitions.

As such, it is heartening to hear that at least 2 of his major sponsors - Hugo Boss and Singapore Airlines (SIA) - are still keeping faith in Schooling during a period when he badly needs solace and encouragement. It is understood Hugo Boss’ sponsorship is a mix of cash and in-kind, while SIA gave Schooling, among other things, a million KrisFlyer miles after the victory in Rio.

DBS Bank told BT that its sponsorship agreement with Schooling, which began in 2018, ended last year prior to him being enlisted for NS. This deal was reportedly worth a 7-figure sum, putting Schooling in very elite company in terms of sports sponsorships.

It is understood that several of Schooling’s other corporate partnerships also ended in 2021, among them TAG Heuer, Canon and Borneo Motors. Nestle ended its endorsement agreement with him in 2020. Schooling also previously inked a tie-up with Yakult, but it’s not immediately clear if this is still active today.

Steven Lam, the managing director (South-east Asia) of Hugo Boss, said in a statement: “Joseph has made a mistake and he has taken ownership of it. Over the years, he has always been a positive influence in and out of the pool. We have taught future generations that it’s okay to make mistakes, to own up, but you have to take responsibility and, more importantly, fix it. Our partnership and support for Joseph remains strong and unwavering.”

So too, the rest of the nation should stand by Schooling in this moment of his deep despair and help him bounce back as soon as he possibly can, much like how the country proudly stood with him 6 years ago when he brought us so much joy after his Rio heroics.