Chinese Taipei badminton star Tai Tzu-ying announces retirement

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Chinese Taipeis Tai Tzu-ying competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

AFP

TAIPEI – Chinese Taipei’s badminton star and Olympic silver medallist Tai Tzu-ying has announced her retirement, saying her era “has come to an end” but that she hopes her spirit stays with fans.

“A beautiful chapter has come to an end. Thank you, badminton, for everything you have given me,” the 31-year-old said in a Facebook post late on Friday.

Born in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, Tai has been struggling with injuries since last year and unable to return to the international circuit.

The three-time champion at both the All England Open and the Asian Championships recalled her elimination from the Paris Olympics at the group stage last year, calling it “the toughest time of my career”.

“Before the Olympics, I wasn’t sure if my injured foot would allow me to compete, but I gave it my all. Others didn’t give up on me, so I couldn’t give up on myself,” she wrote.

“I couldn’t end my career the way I had hoped, I wasn’t ready to let go, and I didn’t want people to see my weakest side, and it took me a while to come to terms with that. That’s why I chose to quietly announce my retirement here instead of on a big stage.”

She added that she underwent surgery and lengthy rehabilitation on both legs, and thanked everyone who supported her recovery.

“I haven’t decided what I’ll do next, but for now, I’m going to enjoy a life without alarm clocks,” Tai added.

She ended the announcement by saying: “The TTY (her initials) era