SINGAPORE: Singapore table tennis player Pang Xuejie, who won the 2017 SEA Games gold medal in the men's doubles, has retired from the sport at just 25 years old to "pursue his other ambitions".
In a statement released by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) on Friday (May 11), Pang said that he was presented with a business opportunity to set up his own blockchain related company.
Advertisement"I believe that this is the right time for me to invest my time and energy to do it. My table tennis journey has been amazing and I would like to thank Sports SG, STTA, for the many opportunities, my family members and fans for their invaluable support," said Pang.
The former Singapore Sports School student has been in the national team since he was 18 years old.
He has three SEA Games gold medals to his name, as well as a mixed doubles silver and team silvers from the 2017 Games.
Pang also partnered veteran Gao Ning to finish in the top 16 at the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships and top 8 in the World Tour Grand Finals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe left-handed attacker most recently represented Singapore in the Commonwealth Games.
Pang has multiple individual accolades to his name. He was named the Most Improved Player of the Year at the 2010 STTA Awards, and the Best Youth Player in 2012.
He was also given the Keppel-STTA Special Award of the Year in 2017.
"Looking back on my table tennis career, it's been a roller-coaster ride but a really exciting one. I'm proud of what I've done. I'm proud that I've represented Singapore the way that I have," said Pang.
"These special memories will live on in my heart and now I use the lessons I have learned as a sportsman to embark on a new journey into the business world."
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