As everyone knows, the sun sets eventually. And, it has apparently set for independent men’s singles player Liew Daren (刘国伦)’s career. The national badminton player recently revealed that he has officially retired from the badminton scene!
Liew Daren has been hinting at his retirement since early January 2023. At that time, he had reportedly told the press he was considering retiring after the season ends. As it turns out, he has since settled firmly on a decision.
Daren confirmed his retirement today (26th April). The 35-year-old told The Star in an interview: “I can confirm that I have retired. For now, I have no further comments as I’m currently in Dubai.” According to the Star, Daren currently wishes to focus more on coaching national shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉) for the Asian Championships.
Liew Daren has notably been struggling with injuries during his career for the past few years. Additionally, Daren supposedly mentioned that he does have a few options for his retirement plans. However, he has yet to decide upon them.
Ranked 34th in the world, Daren has garnered several victories under his belt. From winning the French Open in 2012 to earning the bronze medal in the 2018 World Championships, Liew Daren has proven his mettle on court and more.
Daren isn’t the only one who has moved on from the badminton scene. National player Chan Peng Soon announced his withdrawal from the national team last year and his former partner Goh Liu Ying just shared that she’ll be tying the knot soon.
Well, regardless of Liew Daren’s plans for the future, we will continue to wish him all the best in his journey. For now, we sincerely wish success for both him and Zii Jia in the upcoming tournament in the Asian Championships.
Sources: China Press, The Star, New Straits Times
