Important to discuss, manage expectations put on athletes serving National Service: Joseph Schooling

HANOI: It is important to discuss and manage expectations put on athletes who are serving National Service, even as they strive to bring success to Singapore in the sporting arena, said swimmer Joseph Schooling on Wednesday (May 18).

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, the 2016 Olympic champion said that athletes often have high expectations of themselves and hope to match up to that of others.

But at the same time, he noted that it is also crucial to have a dialogue to discuss what these expectations are and be realistic about them.

"It's all about how we can both grow together, and how NS and sporting achievements can coincide,” he said.

“I think we're on the right track. We just need to sit down and ask some tough questions. It's gonna be rough, but I think we're going to come out on the right side at the end of the day.” 

Schooling had just wrapped up his Games campaign with 2 golds and a bronze.

In response to a question on how he has been juggling National Service and swimming, Schooling said that he's made "strides" in the past few months.

At the same time he also admitted that it has been "pretty challenging"for him as a swimmer.

He elaborated that the challenge comes from being "stuck in the middle of what the nation expects you to be as an athlete ... versus the things that you can commit to in terms of training requirements or the time needed to do the things that you need to do". 

And for athletes having to juggle National Service and sporting commitments, the former Olympic champion who enlisted earlier this year, noted that a discussion would be useful.

"It's about time we had like a national dialogue, sat down together and discussed what are the expectations that our athletes are