Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying on Wednesday said that she wants to have children once she retires, and added that a trip throughout Taiwan was in her plans for when she lays down her racket.
Tai, who turned 30 yesterday, has said she plans to retire at the end of this year.
In an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA), she said that “there’s still a lot of places in Taiwan I haven’t visited,” adding that she also wants to rest and enjoy life without having to set an alarm.
Photo: CNA
Tai first picked up a racket at age five and began training professionally at age nine. She made her international debut as a senior when she was 15, finishing second at the Vietnam Open, a Grand Prix tournament.
Two years later in 2011, she won her first international tournament at the US Open. In 2018, she represented Taiwan at the Asian Games and clinched the nation’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in badminton.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she won silver in the women’s singles, Taiwan’s best result in that category.
Photo: CNA
Tai is also the record holder of the longest stay at world No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation women’s ranking, having held the title for 214 consecutive weeks up to December 2016. She is currently world No. 3.
However, injuries have been an issue.
Tai said that every athlete eventually experiences a decline.
Maybe it is time for me to move on to the next chapter of life, she said.
“I still cherish every opportunity to participate in competitions and strive to do my best,” she told CNA.
However, retirement would bring another stage of her life, she said.
“I want to have three children,” she told CNA.
She said in the interview that her sister’s children are cute.
“Having a few children is just an idea,” she added. “I will plan it carefully after I retire next year.”
Taiwan head coach Liu Chia-cheng said that Tai was recovering well after withdrawing from the Indonesia Open earlier this month due to a knee injury.
Tai said that the Olympics holds the highest and most important place in every athlete’s heart.
“Of course, I will give my all, but there are many uncontrollable factors in competitions, including [an athlete’s] physical condition ... being healthy and in good physical condition is essential,” she said.
The Taiwan Institute of Sports Science monitors each athlete’s condition to ensure that they are in good physical condition for the Olympics and to prevent further injuries before the competition, Liu said.
The team’s goal is to get a medal in the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles, he said.
The draws for the Paris Games are expected to be announced on July 12 and once confirmed, practice and preparation would be conducted according to the potential matches, he said.
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