KUALA LUMPUR: Former national No 1 women's singles Soniia Cheah has finally called it quits.
The 29-year-old, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, told Timesport it was time to call time on her career which has been plagued by injuries since 2013.
While admitting it was a tough decision to make because of her love for the sport, Soniia admitted she can no longer push her body to the limit.
"I have to stop because of the relapse of my bone spur injury which causes a lot of pain.
"Sometimes it's difficult to sleep at night because the pain just sets in.
"I feel sad to retire because I love this game so much. I also know that I could have gone so much further if not for my injury.
"However, there are no regrets because only I know how much pain I've endured since 2013 and the numerous surgeries I underwent on my ankle.
"Even when everyone doubted me, I still pushed on and played competitive badminton," said Soniia who made one final appearance at the highest level, when she made the cut for the World Championships in Tokyo in August.
Soniia has decided to continue pursuing her studies in sports science while she runs a food business, and a private badminton academy on the side.
She thanked the BA of Malaysia (BAM), which has groomed her since the age of 13.
"I would like to thank BAM for developing and nurturing my talent. It's been such an honour to be part of the national setup for 15 years.
"By becoming an independent player, I grew stronger, matured and learned so much about life," she added.
Among Soniia's notable achievements were winning silver at the 2017 Sea Games, and the National Championships in 2018 and 2019.