Taiwan badminton star, former world No 1 Tai Tzu-ying calls time on her career

Taiwan’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,” Tai, 31, 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 has been 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 did not give up on me, so I could not give up on myself,” she wrote.

“I could not end my career the way I had hoped, and it took me a while to come to terms with that.”