Olympic bronze medallist Minnie Soo Wai-yam has announced her retirement from table tennis, bringing an end to a glittering 12-year career.
Soo made the announcement on social media on Monday, and put her decision down to a failure to recover from a long-term injury.
The 27-year-old has suffered from a nerve problem in her right arm for the past six years, which made it difficult to even train before she won in Tokyo with the Hong Kong women’s team.
“Once, I dreamed of retiring [and] I woke up in tears, realising there were still unfinished dreams waiting for me,” Soo wrote. “Today, I shed no tears of regret, but with boundless gratitude for the friends, coaches, and people at the Sports Institute who have accompanied me through these 12 years of growth.
“I will still feel fear and confusion about the road ahead, but I am also full of anticipation.”
Soo began playing table tennis at just 3 years old, following in the footsteps of her father, Soo Chun-wah, a former Hong Kong team player.
AloJapan.com