Source: Action Images/RITZAU SCANPIX
[Saba Sports News] 27-year-old Chinese badminton mixed doubles Olympic champion Zheng Siwei announced on social media that he is officially withdrawing from international competition to return home and accompany his family. As a result, the upcoming BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou will be the farewell performance for the Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong pair on the international stage. In his lengthy post, Zheng mentioned that whether or not he wins a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year, his decision to withdraw from international competition is part of his life plan. Although he is stepping back from international competition, he will not leave the field of badminton; he intends to continue learning, enriching his professional knowledge, and aims to become a badminton coach in the future. Additionally, Zheng expressed gratitude in his post to everyone who has helped him during his 11 years as a national player, hoping that fans can understand and support his decision. According to information, the “Ya Si” pair is currently the best mixed doubles combination in international badminton, having won the world championship three times and earned honors such as the Thomas Cup, Olympic gold, and Asian Games gold, maintaining a long-standing world ranking of No. 1 in mixed doubles.