Malaysian badminton star Li Zongwei announced his retirement on the 13th, ending his 19-year career.
Xinhua News Agency, Putrajaya, Malaysia, June 13 (reporter Lin Hao, Yu Wei) Malaysian badminton star Li Zongwei announced his retirement on the 13th, ending his 19-year career.
Accompanied by Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Sayid SDK and Malaysian badminton association president Norza, Li Zongwei held a press conference to announce his decision to retire. “Today, maybe everyone knows more or less about my intention to hold a press conference,” he said. “I announce my retirement from this sport that I have been engaged in for 19 years.”
Li Zongwei said that he went abroad to review his body in April this year, and the doctor advised him to take more rest, believing that the recovery training put him under too much pressure. After consulting with the youth sports department, Badminton Association and his family, he decided to retire.
Li Zongwei said that this was a heavy decision. He loved this sport and hoped to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, otherwise he would not resume training after receiving treatment, but for him now, health is more important.
Li Zongwei wore the sportswear of Malaysia national team that day. He said that looking back on his 19-year career, it was not an easy task to compete around the world wearing the jersey of the national team, but he did his best.
Li Zongwei thanked the media present, the youth sports department and other government agencies and badminton associations for their support, and his coaches, trainers and his family. At this time, Li Zongwei could no longer control his emotions, began to choke, and finally had to stop to wipe his tears.
He finally thanked his country and people for their support. “Without Malaysia, there would be no 19 years of Li Zongwei in the national team.” He said.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Sayid SDK, said that Li Zongwei would be nominated as the head of the Tokyo Olympic delegation in Malaysia. Li Zongwei expressed his gratitude for this. He said that he failed to win Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal and hoped to see other Malaysian athletes in Tokyo to achieve this goal.
Li Zongwei will be 37 years old in October this year. He defeated the Japanese player taotian xiandou who ranked first in the world men’s singles in the Malaysian Open final last year and won the championship for the 12th time. However, he soon found out that he had nasal cancer and received treatment. After the cancer recovered, he gradually resumed training at the end of last year, but the return time was postponed again and again. Before his retirement, his world ranking had dropped to 190, and the ranking protection given by the World Badminton Federation would arrive in August, which meant that even if he returned, it would be difficult for him to get enough points to get the right to participate in the Olympic Games.