Taufik pledges to promote badminton after retirement

Jakarta: Legendary Indonesian shuttler Taufik Hidayat said Wednesday that he will promote badminton after retirement by providing training and sharing his experiences with young players through his newly-built Taufik Hidayat Arena training centre.

"I am what I am because of badminton. Badminton is my blood and flesh and I would give back my 16 years of experiences for badminton, for those who love badminton, and for the nation. Establishing Taufik Hidayat Arena is one of my initiatives," Taufik said Wednesday, reports Xinhua. He said that he will announce his official retirement from international badminton after the Indonesia Open next June. "There are six or seven remaining tournaments, including events in Malaysia, South Korea and the All England Club tournament before my retirement. After the Indonesia Open I would totally stop playing as a professional player," Taufik added. The Taufik Hidayat Arena is the only badminton hall in the world owned and named after a badminton player. Built in Ciracas, east Jakarta, the futuristically-designed building features various training sessions for talented badminton players from home and around the world. Many players from China, Singapore, Japan, Canada and Mexico have undergone intensive training sessions in the badminton hall under the supervision of Taufik and his team. IANS