Quah looks to repay the faith

SINGAPORE — National swimmer Quah Zheng Wen’s hopes of delivering a strong performance at the 2016 Olympic Games received a huge boost today (July 7), after the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) granted his application for a long-term deferment from full-time National Service (NS).

Quah was due to enlist Thursday. The deferment, which ends on Aug 31, 2016, means he can train full-time for next year’s Olympics, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro from Aug 5 to 21.

Speaking at the Sports Hub’s OCBC Aquatic Centre after training this evening, Quah, who has qualified for the men’s 200m butterfly for the Rio Olympics, told TODAY he understood the significance of being granted the deferment, and that it is time for him to repay the faith.

“There will be raised expectations, but I think I have been given a great opportunity,” he said. “As long as I can come out (of the Olympics) with no regrets, and knowing that I did my utmost best, I think that’s good enough, because my expectations (of myself) are most important. For the pressure, it is always good to have a certain amount of it, and I can deal with this added pressure.”

In a statement today, MINDEF said Quah’s deferment application, which was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, had included his training schedule and targets leading up to the 2016 Olympics.

The Armed Forces Council, chaired by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, reviewed Quah’s application and was satisfied that the conditions for deferment were met.

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

Team-mate and 2014 Asian Games champion Joseph Schooling was also granted a long-term deferment in 2013 to prepare for the Rio Olympics.

Quah, who can now compete at the FINA World Championships — an Olympic qualifier — in Kazan, Russia later this month, had also applied two years ago for deferment after being invited to join Stanford University. But it did not materialise as the application to MINDEF was unsuccessful.

Since then, he has posted strong performances, including at last month’s SEA Games, where he medalled in all 12 events he took part in, including winning seven gold medals. That helped convince national coach Sergio Lopez to encourage the swimmer’s parents to seek a deferment for their son after the SEA Games.

The Spaniard told MINDEF officials that apart from Schooling, Quah is the only male Singaporean swimmer to have met the “A” qualifying mark of 1min 56.97s in the men’s 200m butterfly — he clocked 1:56.79 at last month’s SEA Games — which guarantees an automatic place at the Rio Olympics.

“What I proposed to MINDEF is that if I have to prove that he (Quah) is improving in his swimming times and on track (for the Olympics) every two months, it would be detrimental to the swimmer with the sort of immense pressure,” Lopez told TODAY.

“But rather, whether he is on the right trajectory, in terms of the work we do in improving power, speed, mental strength and other things to increase his chances of doing well at the Olympics. 

“He has the potential to be in an Olympic final, and once he does that, he can have every chance to medal.”

Today’s news came as a surprise to Quah, whose elder sister Ting Wen and younger sister Jing Wen are also national swimmers. 

“I was just sitting and waiting really … If I knew I was going to army for sure, I would have taken a break from swimming a little bit, but I just decided to continue to swim, in case I was granted deferment, and would ... be able to hit the World Championships hard,” he said.

“Even if I were to serve the BMT, I was hoping to come out to train perhaps under some scheme, and I would have been totally fine, and still trying my best, no matter what.”

Lopez wants Quah to meet the Olympic “A” marks for more events besides the 200m butterfly, and that training will not be any different.

His father, Tee Hwa, told TODAY the family will keep him focused on his Olympic dream. 

He said: “We are very happy now that his second application has been approved. He will stay in Singapore to train with Sergio and (national assistant coach) Gary (Tan), and they will help him achieve good results at the 2016 Olympics.”