POP loh! Olympic swimmer Quah Zheng Wen completes BMT

It might seem like a typical Instagram post by the Singapore Army to celebrate their latest cohort of recruits graduating from Basic Military Training on Pulau Tekong.

But if you swipe to the last photo shared last Sunday (Dec 5), you might see a familiar face in green.

It's none other than national swimmer Quah Zheng Wen.

In the post, he was quoted: “Through my experiences in BMT, I know now with more certainty what I am capable of and it makes me more confident. I plan to continue racing for the country, so that we can fly our flag high on the international stage.”

How time flies. After all, the last time the 25-year-old was in the spotlight was at the Tokyo Olympics five months ago. He swam in the 100m butterfly, the 200m butterfly and the 100m backstroke.

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In September, Mindef said that Quah, along with Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, would "fulfil their National Service obligations" since their long-term deferments — which began in 2014 and 2015 respectively — had ended.

In the comments, netizens are pleased to see Quah as a newly minted soldier.

"Proud sis" and fellow national swimmer Quah Ting Wen also shared her brother's achievements on Instagram.

Taking to social media in September before his enlistment, Quah had expressed his gratitude to the Government for “the privilege” of earlier deferments.

In an Instagram post, he wrote: "I am always thankful for the opportunity to represent Singapore — whether it is through enlisting or swimming.

He also shared that he plans to compete at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year, as well as qualifying for the Olympics in 2024.

chingshijie@asiaone.com