'I wish to put the past behind': Soh Rui Yong apologises to SNOC again, hopes to represent Singapore in competitions

SINGAPORE - Marathoner Soh Rui Yong has apologised to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and reiterated his hope to represent the country again in competitions.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Soh said he had deleted all posts from April 2019 "that may be seen as disparaging to SNOC" and added: "I wish to put the past behind, so that I can focus on my running and contributing in any way I can to Singapore sports.

"With this in mind I hereby unreservedly apologise to the SNOC for any past statements I may have made that had cast doubt on their propriety."

Soh, 31, and the SNOC have clashed on several occasions over issues including the athlete's breach of regulations regarding the promotion of personal sponsors at the 2017 SEA Games.

The 2015 and 2017 SEA Games marathon champion was also not selected for the 2019 and 2022 SEA Games after the SNOC took issue with his "non-performance related standards and qualities such as attitude and behaviour".

Soh's non-selection in 2019 led to an ugly public spat and even the threat of legal action by both parties, which did not go further.

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Days after he was excluded from the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022, Soh penned an apology to the SNOC on his social media platforms but he was still not on the Asian Games shortlist released in April.

The SNOC said then that it had "yet to find any satisfactory evidence to demonstrate changed behaviour and conduct (since the Hanoi SEA Games selection meeting) which would enable him to meet the non-performance related standards required".

In his latest post, Soh said he accepted that the SNOC had its reasons for not selecting him.

He added: "I hope to race for Singapore again if selected... Let's put our past differences aside and be united once more."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.