Singapore (IDN): The stunning victory by 21-year old Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling in the 100-meter butterfly at the Rio Olympics on Friday has reignited debate about the intricacy of importing foreign sporting talent to raise the profile of local sports, especially in the international arena. It was the tiny island nation’s first ever Olympic gold medal and Southeast Asia’s first Olympic Gold in swimming.

Schooling beat his childhood idol, and perhaps the greatest swimmer of all-time, Michael Phelps of the United States, as well as Commonwealth Games champion Chad Le Clos of South Africa and the 33-time European champion Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. All three of them tied for silver medal, while the young Singaporean took the gold with a new Olympic Games record.

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