(Reuters) – China’s two-time Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan, one of the sport’s greatest singles players, announced his retirement on Saturday.
The 37-year-old, who won the Olympics singles titles in Beijing in 2008 and the 2012 London Games, has won all the sport’s major titles, including five world championships’ gold medals.
“I’ve dedicated everything to the sport I love. My family, coaches, team mates and fans have accompanied me through many happy times and difficult moments,” Chinese media quoted Lin Dan as saying in the retirement announcement.
“Now I’m 37 years old, and my physical fitness and pain no longer allow me to fight side by side with my team mates,” Lin added.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
