PETALING JAYA: Chinese star Chen Yufei has proved that she is not just a successful badminton player after she completed an English course in Melbourne.
Yufei, who captured gold in the women’s singles in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been taking a break from the sport since the Paris Games in August and used the time to study English.
The 26-year-old did not manage to defend her crown in Paris when she surprisingly lost to teammate He Bingjiao in the quarter-finals and felt that she needed some time to reflect on her next plans.
Yufei believes that studying abroad has been a refreshing change for her as she plots her way back on court.
“My 10 weeks of studying abroad have come to an end. I deeply appreciate everyone I met during this time,” Yufei said on social media.
“Thank you for showing me that even outside the court, numerous people still recognise and support me.
“After Paris, I didn’t want to return to the court because I believed that someone without ambition should not be standing there.
“For two Olympic cycles I calmly did what was expected of me, what I was supposed to do. I have always felt pride in shouldering responsibility (for my country).
“But I forgot to ask myself as Chen Yufei, standing there on my own, what I am striving for?
“However, this period of learning has led me to reflect on these questions. By pausing, I’ve discovered how to set out again. So next time, let’s meet on court again,” added Yufei.
Yufei will continue to take a break from international tournaments this year and it is not yet known when she will make her comeback.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Aya Ohori has surprisingly announced that she will retire from the sport at the end of the year.
The 28-year-old has been improving a lot over the past two years and reached a career high No. 9 in the world rankings in August.
Ohori won bronze in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and captured her first two World Tour titles in the Thailand Masters in January and Australian Open in June.
She is currently Japan’s No. 2 in the women’s singles behind only world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi.
Ohori’s last international tournament will be the prestigious World Tour Finals from Dec 11-15 in Hangzhou.
