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SINGAPORE: Joseph Schooling on Wednesday (Mar 1) announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, saying he was "not at the level" at which he expects to compete at the event. "After careful consideration with my team, I have decided to pull out of the SEA Games," the 27-year-old swimmer said in a statement. "This was not an easy decision, but I am currently not at the level at which I hold myself to perform. Ultimately, my country comes first before individual accolades." The Olympic champion added that he would instead focus on his National Service duties and support his team-mates from home. "I have decided to give my spot to team-mates who have been getting themselves ready and considered for selection while I cheer from home and focus on my Navy duties," he said. The 2023 SEA Games will take place from May 5 to May 17 in Cambodia. In 2021, he relinquished his Olympic crown in Tokyo, after failing to make the semi-finals of the 100m butterfly event which he won in 2016. Just months later, he had to cope with the death of his father Colin. In 2022, after enlisting and then taking part in the SEA Games in Vietnam, Schooling confessed to consuming cannabis overseas. As a result of his admission, he received a formal letter of warning from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and lost his disruption privileges. Sport Singapore also suspended support for him for a month, and he was fined for breaching rules in the Singapore National Olympic Council's code of conduct. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/joseph-schooling-withdraws-sea-games-2023-cambodia-swimming-3314991