Singaporean Swimmer Quah Zheng Wen Allowed Deferment from National Army to Compete in Worlds, Olympics

Photo Courtesy: Maddie Kyler

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Singaporean swimmer Quah Zheng Wen has been granted the opportunity to compete at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia, as well as the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The swimmer was not in jeopardy with his swimming ability, as he totaled 12 medals at the recent 2015 South East Asian Games (SEA) and set the Singapore national record in the 200 IM in 2012.

According to a piece from Reuters, a world-wide news website, Quah was scheduled to enlist in the Singapore national army before the World Championships, per request of the Singapore Ministry of Defence.

According to the Singapore Ministry of Defence website, all Singaporean men that are age 18 or older are required to serve two full years in the national army.

However, the Armed Forces Council (AFC) released a statement saying that Quah’s circumstances qualify him to defer enlistment into the national army until August 31, 2016, after the Olympic Games.

“Mr Quah has satisfied the conditions for deferment of exceptional sportsmen who can win honor for Singapore, as his recent performances were better than the most recent Olympic Games’ qualifying times in the 200m butterfly,” an AFC statement said.

Quah is the one of the greatest chances Singapore has at winning the country’s first Olympic swimming medal. His teammate, Joseph Schooling, also has a chance, and was given the same opportunity in 2013.

“The AFC would like to re-iterate that the criteria for deferment remain strict and limited to exceptional cases. The criteria for deferment have not changed and both Mr Schooling and Mr Quah met these criteria,” the statement said.

Quah will be in full enlistment for national service come August 31.

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