Soh Rui Yong excluded from Singapore’s Asian Games line-up; SNOC says he made ‘disparaging’ remarks

SINGAPORE: Distance runner Soh Rui Yong has once again been left out of the Singapore contingent and will miss the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. 

The 31-year-old was not included in the Singapore National Olympic Council’s (SNOC) list of successful appeals on Thursday (Jun 8), which comes a month after he returned to the national fold at the Cambodia SEA Games. 

Soh won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000m SEA Games race in May, setting a new national record in the process.

His participation at the Phnom Penh Games marked the end of a more than five-year absence from major games following several clashes with SNOC, which eventually led to his exclusion from the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games despite meeting the qualification times for both competitions.

In response to CNA’s queries on Thursday, SNOC said its appeals committee for the Asian Games considered Singapore Athletics’ nomination for Soh’s participation and decided not to select him. 

“The committee found Mr Soh to have failed to honour commitments which he had provided to the SNOC, including on occasions following his participation at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“In particular, Mr Soh continued to make disparaging and derisive remarks about others in the public domain. This behaviour does not commensurate with his apology given, undermines the sincerity of his commitment to avoid posting controversial content on social media, and renders his assurance to conduct himself in a more constructive, mature and professional manner hollow.

“It is unfortunate that notwithstanding efforts made to support and rehabilitate him, the committee is not satisfied that he has changed for the better to earn selection for the Asian Games.”

SNOC did not reveal details about the incidents leading to its decision. CNA has contacted Soh for comment.

Soh had also been left out of the initial Asian Games line-up last year, despite his nomination by Singapore Athletics for the men’s 10,000m event.

The Hangzhou Asian Games will be held from Sep 23 to Oct 8. It was postponed from 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.