Josephy Schooling to join PAP to gloss up its image tarnished by S Iswaran, Vivian Balakrishnan, Tan Chuan Jin

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Joseph Schooling the politician? ‘Never say never’​

Swimmer Joseph Schooling announcing his retirement at a press conference held at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2, 2024. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE - Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has not ruled out a post-swimming career in politics, saying “never say never” when asked the question during his press conference at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2.
The 28-year-old, who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced his retirement from competitive swimming on April 2, and plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school.
When asked by The Straits Times whether politics figures in his future plans, Schooling laughed and said: “I mean, never say never.
“But for right now, I am focused on the business ventures; on the personal side. If I am lucky enough one day to be in that spot, then so be it. You can’t put a limit on anything.
“But... I am very happy playing golf, my swim school, and helping my mum out at the office. It’s my turn to be a normal kid... or a normal guy.”
The former national swimmer ends his career with an Olympic gold, two bronzes at the world championships, seven Asian Games medals (three golds, a silver, three bronzes), a silver at the Commonwealth Games and 29 golds at the SEA Games.

 

[JohnTan]

Joseph Schooling the politician? ‘Never say never’​

Swimmer Joseph Schooling announcing his retirement at a press conference held at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2, 2024. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE - Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has not ruled out a post-swimming career in politics, saying “never say never” when asked the question during his press conference at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2.
The 28-year-old, who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced his retirement from competitive swimming on April 2, and plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school.
When asked by The Straits Times whether politics figures in his future plans, Schooling laughed and said: “I mean, never say never.
“But for right now, I am focused on the business ventures; on the personal side. If I am lucky enough one day to be in that spot, then so be it. You can’t put a limit on anything.
“But... I am very happy playing golf, my swim school, and helping my mum out at the office. It’s my turn to be a normal kid... or a normal guy.”
The former national swimmer ends his career with an Olympic gold, two bronzes at the world championships, seven Asian Games medals (three golds, a silver, three bronzes), a silver at the Commonwealth Games and 29 golds at the SEA Games.

We've already invited Joseph to serve as a grassroots leader.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

The media spin has started.

Olympic golden boy Joseph Schooling retires from swimming​

Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling has retired from competitive swimming. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Rohit Brijnath
Assistant Sports Editor

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE - Eight years after his stunning success at the Rio Olympics, Singapore’s greatest athlete Joseph Schooling has called time on his career.
The 28-year-old swimmer, whose last major medal came at the 2021 SEA Games, told The Straits Times that he is going to play golf and work in the venture capital space with two partners in the sectors of “health and wellness, tech and sustainability”.
Singapore’s only Olympic champion, who won a 100m butterfly gold in 2016 against a field studded with talent including American legend Michael Phelps, said in an exclusive interview with ST that “it’s kind of surreal to actually be going to a swimming pool and spectating instead of competing”.
The highly competitive son of Colin and May Schooling said he was both lucky and thankful for his parents, his coaches and his support team.
They gave him, he said, “the opportunity to be able to freely express who I am in the water. No judgment, no hesitation, complete trust and love”. “To have to leave all that behind. Yeah, it sucks.”
Schooling’s career was not without bumps, most famously, the revelation in 2022 that he had consumed cannabis overseas.


For an athlete who considers himself a role model for young people, it was a situation both “embarrassing and humiliating”.

Schooling was named Sportsman of the Year six times, including five consecutive times from 2015-19.
His career started to flatten out after two gold medals in the 50m and 100m butterfly at the 2018 Asian Games.
His winning time in Rio of 50.39 seconds was an Olympic record, but he never swam as fast again.

Swimmer Joseph Schooling after winning gold in the men's 100m butterfly final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. PHOTO: ST FILE
The reasons were many and complex, but Schooling – who suffered from scoliosis, a curvature of the spine –candidly admitted to “complacency” after Rio. He was faster than everyone and expected to remain so.
Did he lack the same focus after 2016, he was asked, and he replied: “I would say the first year, yes. Second year, I was playing catch-up. And then the third year, I was just overthinking.”
But Schooling, after gruelling years in pursuit of his Olympic dream, was also tired and believes he should have stepped away for a while and returned renewed.
Schooling’s Olympic gold, which propelled Singapore into international headlines, was the result of his parents’ belief in his talent and their bravery in making the financial commitment to send him to The Bolles School in the United States.

In Bolles, coach Sergio Lopez became his “father figure”, and the testing environment focused his competitiveness.
“If you want to be the best,” explained Schooling, “you’ve got to be surrounded by the best. You’re a by-product of your atmosphere.”
After Bolles, Schooling joined the University of Texas, where he was mentored by the legendary Eddie Reese.
Asked if he would have won Olympic gold without Reese, the Singaporean paused briefly: “I think I would have, but I wouldn’t have had as much fun doing so.”
In Rio 2016, apart from nerves on the bus ride to the stadium, Schooling believed it was his race to lose.
In the call room, he thought: “OK, I’m about to do something really special...
“And once I felt like I had my foot down, there was no way I was gonna let up.”

(From left) Chad le Clos, Michael Phelps and Joseph Schooling with their medals after the men’s 100m butterfly final in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug 12, 2016. PHOTO: ST FILE
Singapore welcomed him home with a bus-top parade, and Schooling’s influence on young athletes in small ways is evident.
“People want to be athletes,” he said, “or people want to go to the Olympics one day, or start a sport.”
And, he continued, “more importantly than that, I think when people look at that, they think, OK, this guy, scoliosis, he’s in the Olympic final, he beats the greats, if he can do it, why not me?”
As legacies go, there can be no better one.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

What glowing tributes for a future politician

Schooling retires: Tributes pour in for Jo, who made us proud to be Singaporean​

Pupils at Yuhua Primary School relishing the chance to exchange high-fives with Olympic champion Joseph Schooling (right), on Aug 16, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

David Lee
Sports Correspondent

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE – On the Saturday morning of Aug 13, 2016, full-time national serviceman Dashan Kumaran is seated on a ferry from Pulau Tekong to the SAF Ferry Terminal in Changi.
It is no regular commute this time. All eyes on the vessel are glued to the TV screen as national swimmer Joseph Schooling dives into the pool over 15,000km away in Rio de Janeiro. And 50.39 seconds later, the crowd breaks out in hearty cheers as their countryman claims Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal, winning the men’s 100m butterfly final.
Kumaran, now a 26-year-old media professional, remembered how everyone was transfixed by the race, and the pride and ecstasy that followed.
He said: “We were united in willing Joseph Schooling to win, and I still remember the whoops of joy and goosebumps as everyone on board went wild when he actually did win. At that moment, I felt really proud to be a Singaporean.”
The sports fan is among the many who have paid tribute to Schooling after he decided to call time on his career.
Singapore Aquatics president Mark Chay said: “He broke the glass ceiling and proved that with hard work and the right approach, Singaporeans can win Olympic gold in a highly competitive sport like swimming. He had and continues to have a direct and positive impact on the sport.
“His legacy as Singapore’s first Olympic gold medallist will never be taken away. Even as he calls time on his competitive career, I hope he continues to contribute to aquatics and perhaps takes on leadership roles either locally or internationally.”

Sprint queen Shanti Pereira, who won the women’s 200m gold at the Asian Games, added: “He put Singapore on the sporting map, so many people know Singapore because of what he did.
“It was an incredible moment not just for Singapore sport but every Singaporean too because in such great moments, the nation comes together and embraces the fact that our country is represented in this way.”
Schooling’s historic moment in Brazil sparked more than just joy and celebrations back home, as his exploits against a star-studded field that included 23-gold Olympic champion Michael Phelps galvanised a nation and inspired a generation of young swimmers.


It also raised the profile of the sport here, as The Straits Times reported swim schools receiving between 20 and 200 per cent more inquiries in the week after his win.

Joseph Schooling slapping the water in joy after winning the 100m butterfly at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug 12, 2016. PHOTO: ST FILE
National men’s 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke record holder Nicholas Mahabir shared how he had always wanted to play water polo, until he witnessed Schooling’s Olympic triumph.
The 18-year-old, who asked Schooling for a wefie when training with the national youth water polo team at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in 2019, said: “Any time it gets hard for me, I just think if Jo can do it, why wouldn’t anyone else be able to do it?”

Schooling’s teammates also paid tribute to their senior, noting the strong work ethic that propelled him to the top, his strength in adversity and his kind nature outside the pool.
Jonathan Tan, who has qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 50m freestyle, said: “You can tell when he is not having a good session because he won’t be particularly happy. You can see he cares and it affects him when he is not doing well, and he will find solutions to swim faster. Even if he is not at his best, he never gives up.”

Joseph Schooling, Singapore’s first Olympic gold medallist, toured the city on a 24km victory parade from Kallang Leisure Park to Raffles City, on Aug 18, 2016. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
The 22-year-old also recalled how Schooling encouraged him after the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team were disqualified in the final at the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022.
Schooling’s influence also extended beyond the swimming pool.
National badminton player and 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew remembered watching Schooling’s 2016 race at the Singapore National Olympic Council’s office.
The 26-year-old said: “It was awe-inspiring to see a Singaporean beating world-class rivals to stand on top of an Olympic podium. As I was starting out on my own full-time sports journey, Schooling proved it is possible for an athlete from a small country like Singapore to achieve big things at the highest level.”
Former national swimming coach David Lim, who worked with Schooling before he moved to the United States, recalled marvelling at his “tremendous” kicking ability.
The 57-year-old also paid tribute to Schooling’s parents, May and the late Colin, who believed in and helped their son achieve his dream of becoming an Olympic champion.
He said: “Parents here are afraid of losing out. When their children are caught out by examinations and grades, the first thing to go is sports. This is why as a coach, I really appreciate parents who do not worry about grades and allow their children to put their heart and soul into swimming.”

Perhaps more than most, Spanish coach Sergio Lopez has had a front-row seat to Schooling’s development as the pair first worked together at The Bolles School in Florida from 2010 to 2014. They would later reunite for the Olympics in 2016 and 2021.
Paying tribute to his protege whom he described as goal-oriented and hard-headed, the 55-year-old former Singapore national coach said: “He wanted to be the best, and he wanted to be an Olympic champion. I had to navigate through his growing pains to teach him to stay the course and to fight and work for the dream.
“But that’s what makes him, Ryan Murphy, Caeleb Dressel and Kevin Cordes champions. Swimmers I’ve coached at that level are hard-headed and they are special.
“At the ready room in Rio, we chatted a little bit, I gave him a hug, and he told me, ‘Sergio, don’t worry, I got this’, and I got goosebumps from how much he believed he was going to win.”

Olympic 100m butterfly gold medallist Joseph Schooling taking a wefie with a fan during the meet-and-greet session at Kallang Wave Mall on Nov 14, 2018. PHOTO: ST FILE
Lopez noted that it is important for world-class athletes to be able to turn the chapter and move on from their competitive careers.
He added: “The process to get that gold medal is relevant for the lessons he has learnt. Jo has had, for his short life, an amazing and impressive and interesting life full of experiences that hopefully he can bring to the table to his business, to his country, to help younger kids find their dreams.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

No doubt Shitty Times had to do PAP Service and Roti Briyani was asked to write a glowing tribute to Schooling

Sporting Life​

Joseph Schooling took us to brilliant places we’d never been to before​

Rohit Brijnath
Assistant Sports Editor

Joseph Schooling of Singapore reacting after winning the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men's 100m butterfly final. PHOTO: ST FILE

APR 02, 2024

In the Museum of Modern Art in New York rests an uncommon exhibit. It is a grainy photograph of a footprint from July 1969. It belongs to Edwin Aldrin, the second man on the moon. The extraordinary always leave an impression.
Joseph Schooling did not go as far as the moon, but one might say he circumnavigated the earth in water. After all, he’d swum at least 40,000km before he arrived at a destination most athletes never reach. A boy from our suburbs on the highest step of an Olympic podium with Michael Phelps looking up at him.
This picture, indelibly imprinted upon us, should hang in a museum, too.
Everything finishes. Athletic careers peter out and we move on to another star. But we look back with gratefulness for Schooling took us to new places, let us dream in a size and colour we hadn’t dared and opened conversations we’d never considered. Could he retain his Olympic title? He didn’t, but did we ever imagine we’d be talking about such a thing?
Nations wish for happiness, prosperity and also citizens to admire. Someone to win a Nobel Prize, head Unicef, star in a Martin Scorsese film, cure a disease. For us, these things would remind a small land that we are constrained only by space not by imagination.
The great contribution frees a people. Olympic gold, for instance, was where other nations went. For Singapore it was merely an idea, but in 50.39 seconds Schooling turned it into a war cry. He made history but also extended our psychological geography. When we told our kids that the sky was the limit it was no longer a bland figure of speech. Proof had come the hard way, in a hard sport.
In the Bay of Zea, where the ancient Greeks parked their galleys, the first swimming events of the modern Olympics were held in 1896. It was one of the nine original sports and was ruled by giants – Michael Gross had a wingspan of 2.13m – and heroes who played Tarzan in the movies. It took 28 Games for Schooling to take a South-east Asian to gold.

“He beat Michael” has become a statement so casually tossed into conversation that we forget its weight. Phelps was 10 years older but he’d won three consecutive 100m butterfly golds at the Olympics. This was akin to racing god. This was Usain Bolt two lanes down.
How do you beat such athletes, who are born to confident sporting nations? Phelps had Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi before him. Carlos Alcaraz has Rafael Nadal as Spanish evidence in the racket arts. Paths had been cleared for them, but not for Schooling. Sometimes harder than just coming first is to also be the first.

Joseph Schooling kissing his gold medal after winning the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. PHOTO: ST FILE
We see great athletes but rarely know them, for the mental territory they tread is foreign and the way they define success is not as simplistic as ours. Schooling, for instance, will tell you his greatest swim wasn’t even the 100m butterfly in Rio but two obscure 200m butterfly races before it.
One was in 2007 in Singapore and another in the NCAA. In both he was trailing badly, in both he barely won. In the 200m, he explained, “you go through an immense amount of pain”. Grit is what he asked from himself on those days and grit is what he found. Satisfaction, he’s telling us, is more complicated than just an Olympic medal.
The champion’s life is hard to condense, for it is a complex, painful journey made by imperfect, fascinating folk. Schooling, author of inspiring tales and also cautionary ones, gave us insight into his planet. He wore an easy grin but was combustible in training. Second-best as a philosophy didn’t appeal to him. His desire ran deep, his cockiness shone, and his complacency after he won was intriguing.

Joseph Schooling (right) posing with joint silver medallists (from left) Michael Phelps, Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh at the 2016 Rio Olympics. PHOTO: REUTERS

In sport the chase is the fun, the victory a relief and then sometimes a void. Not everyone has the will for another depleting, four-year chase. Schooling taught us that we could win and this was enough. Someone will come one day to teach us the next lesson.
Nations bestow famous people with all manner of awards but Singaporeans gave Schooling the sweetest of gifts. Nothing to frame or pin on a lapel, but something more profound. They lined the streets to cheer him in 2016 and it was a collective voice of affection and approval.
In the end, why do we go to arenas? For wonder, of course. For that instant when a human finds his highest athletic expression. When he fights to overcome his frailties, is brave enough to believe he can dominate the world, and produces his very best when surrounded by the planet’s best.
Schooling offered us this wonder and in doing so left us something precious.
Footprints to walk in.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Even his mother was asked to write a public letter.
Cringe, couldn't the family have kept this private?
Unless it was for an ulterior motive, a political purpose....
Mama's boy, wholesome and virtuous (even though he smoked cannabis)

‘I want you to always have the Dream’: A letter from May Schooling to her son Joseph​

A family photo of Joseph Schooling with his parents May and Colin taken in June 2019. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SANDRA GALISTAN

APR 02, 2024

Dear son,

You will always be the greatest joy in my memories, and also the reason why I stay awake sometimes and worry! It’s like I closed my eyes for a moment and a beautiful man stands where my baby used to be!
Thank you for taking us on this unbelievable journey and adventure.
I really don’t know how we made it there on our own, but we loved every moment of it. There were many sacrifices for our family, but these sacrifices were the glue that kept us, and are still continuing to keep us together.
Your dream of winning an Olympic gold medal from young kept the fire burning in our hearts and helped us understand how far love, perseverance and hard work can take a person.
All we wanted for you was to be happy, believe and achieve your dream. And when you achieved your dream of winning an Olympic gold medal, you helped many people in Singapore understand that while dreams may be elusive, they are not impossible. They can now believe in your motto, “Dare to Dream”!
I want you to always have the Dream. To always believe deep in your heart that you can, and that you are capable of doing anything once you set your mind to it! You never lose! You either WIN or LEARN!

So, both you and I are transitioning to the next phase of life. I could not be more proud of the man you are and will be.
You’ve moved into Dad’s office, working there and making plans.
I am excited for the future as I know you will put the same determination, focus and hard work into what comes next. Be true to yourself and live your dream.
I cannot promise that I will be there for the rest of your life, but I do promise that I love you more than anything else in the world, and I will love you for the rest of my life.
Love forever,

Mum

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Majulah PAP!

In Pictures: Joseph Schooling’s Olympic triumph​

Joseph Schooling made history by bringing home Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal. The swimmer clocked 50.39s and broke an Olympic record in the 100m men’s butterfly at Rio 2016. Back home, Singaporeans cheered as he swam his way to victory.​

APR 02, 2024

Joseph Schooling in the men's 100m butterfly final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug 12, 2016. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Joseph Schooling reacting after winning men's 100m butterfly final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug 12, 2016. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Singapore swimmer Joseph Schooling (right) being congratulated by United States swimming legend Michael Phelps after winning the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men's 100m butterfly final. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Members of Singapore’s sporting fraternity at the OCBC Aquatic Centre celebrating as they watched on screen Joseph Schooling coming in first in the men's 100m butterfly race at the Rio Olympics. His unprecedented victory captured the imagination of the nation and may inspire more young athletes to take up sports, just as he was motivated by American swimmer Michael Phelps. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

US swimming legend Michael Phelps (left) congratulating Joseph Schooling (right) of Singapore, as Hungary's Laszlo Cseh (centre) looks on, on the podium after the men's 100m butterfly final in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug 12, 2016. Schooling beat Phelps and Cseh to win the gold medal in the event. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Joseph Schooling holding up the gold medal on the podium after winning the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men's 100m butterfly final on Aug 12, 2016. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Joseph Schooling being hugged by his father, Colin, after returning to Singapore on Aug 15, 2016. Father and son were reunited after months apart. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Joseph Schooling snapping a photo with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other MPs on Aug 15, 2016. The Singapore swimmer was formally congratulated for his historic achievement at the Rio 2016 Games during Parliament. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Singapore swimmer and Olympic gold-medalist Joseph Schooling giving a high-five to his young fans during a visit to his alma mater, Anglo-Chinese School ( Junior), on Aug 16, 2016. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

Singapore's first Olympic champion Joseph Schooling on the victory bus at its first pit stop at Block 50A Marine Terrace market on Aug 18, 2016. He was greeted like a rock star as nearly 10,000 turned up for three-hour victory parade ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Singapore's first Olympic champion, Joseph Schooling, posing for media photographers atop the victory bus as it left Block 50A Marine Terrace market on Aug 18, 2016. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

 

[k1976]

Joseph Schooling the politician? ‘Never say never’​

Swimmer Joseph Schooling announcing his retirement at a press conference held at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2, 2024. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE - Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has not ruled out a post-swimming career in politics, saying “never say never” when asked the question during his press conference at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2.
The 28-year-old, who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced his retirement from competitive swimming on April 2, and plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school.
When asked by The Straits Times whether politics figures in his future plans, Schooling laughed and said: “I mean, never say never.
“But for right now, I am focused on the business ventures; on the personal side. If I am lucky enough one day to be in that spot, then so be it. You can’t put a limit on anything.
“But... I am very happy playing golf, my swim school, and helping my mum out at the office. It’s my turn to be a normal kid... or a normal guy.”
The former national swimmer ends his career with an Olympic gold, two bronzes at the world championships, seven Asian Games medals (three golds, a silver, three bronzes), a silver at the Commonwealth Games and 29 golds at the SEA Games.

Many many chiobu and Lao chio will vote for him as he is handsome of all handsomest de woh

Will some VVIP jealous?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Many many chiobu and Lao chio will vote for him as he is handsomest

Auntie killer

 

[ODACHEK]

"...plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school."

So it's a threesome?

 

[k1976]

Auntie killer

4yr - 80yr old Charbo Magnet

 

[batman1]

"...plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school."

So it's a threesome?

May be funded by Temasek.

 

[oliverlee]

Half his family has fucked off to Australia. I can see they really love SG. Lanjiao lah, this shameless cheebai. But then birds of a feather fuck together

 

[A Singaporean]

Half his family has fucked off to Australia. I can see they really love SG. Lanjiao lah, this shameless cheebai. But then birds of a feather fuck together

Please go. Just another junkie.

 

[Eisenhut]

Better don't add to scandal!!! He is quite a play boy in USA !

 

[batman1]

Will he be going backdoor entry to stand under Marine Parade GRC ?

 

[millim6868]

He a other cb, later on like MPs fucking each other secretly n never got charge n ask pay back, esp that tan guy cb a t like fair person, n that cb Indian cb like to show face cb kept quiet, even her kaki dogs stay ridout she also diam diam ,kknbccb

 

[glockman]

If pap wants him, then it is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Just a sickening populist attempt at appealing to younger voters. Because Schooling does not come across as bright at all.

 

[mahjongking]

pap money too good to ignore.....he will just be another parasite

 

[k1976]

Joseph Schooling the politician? ‘Never say never’​

Swimmer Joseph Schooling announcing his retirement at a press conference held at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2, 2024. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

APR 02, 2024

SINGAPORE - Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has not ruled out a post-swimming career in politics, saying “never say never” when asked the question during his press conference at the Chinese Swimming Club on April 2.
The 28-year-old, who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced his retirement from competitive swimming on April 2, and plans to work in the “venture capital space” with two partners and focus on his swim school.
When asked by The Straits Times whether politics figures in his future plans, Schooling laughed and said: “I mean, never say never.
“But for right now, I am focused on the business ventures; on the personal side. If I am lucky enough one day to be in that spot, then so be it. You can’t put a limit on anything.
“But... I am very happy playing golf, my swim school, and helping my mum out at the office. It’s my turn to be a normal kid... or a normal guy.”
The former national swimmer ends his career with an Olympic gold, two bronzes at the world championships, seven Asian Games medals (three golds, a silver, three bronzes), a silver at the Commonwealth Games and 29 golds at the SEA Games.

Sport Ministar?