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Benjamin Davis signed his contract with Fulham in 2017.
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Ben Davis, Singapore’s first English Premier League player, could face jail after missing military enlistment

  • The 18-year-old football player could be fined US$7,300 and jailed up to three years if convicted for defaulting on his national service obligations, said the defence ministry
  • Singapore’s refusal to allow Ben Davis, 18, to defer his national service sparked a debate last year over whether the country’s rigid conscription law is stifling its youth from pursuing their dreams
Singapore
Reuters
Reuters
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Singapore’s first football player signed to the English Premier League has missed his compulsory military service and now faces charges that carry up to three years in jail, the city state’s defence ministry said on Monday.
The country’s refusal to allow Ben Davis, 18, to defer his national service sparked a debate last year over whether the country’s rigid conscription law is stifling its youth from pursuing their dreams.

Davis signed a two-year contract with London club Fulham to become the first player from the Southeast Asian nation to join an English top-flight club.

Benjamin Davis training at the Singapore National Stadium. Photo: Singapore Football Association

“Mr Benjamin Davis is a National Service (NS) defaulter. He failed to report for NS as required. He is also staying overseas without a valid Exit Permit,” the ministry of defence said in a statement posted on its website.

The ministry said Davis has committed offences under the Enlistment Act, and if convicted could be fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,300) and/or imprisoned for up to three years.

His father, Harvey Davis, who has previously spoken on his behalf, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Only a handful of people have met the criteria for long-term deferment from military service, including swimmer Joseph Schooling, who won Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Schooling, then 21, pulled off a stunning upset at the Rio Olympics by beating Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly.

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