Following Lilyana Natsir, Tontowi Ahmad Announces Retirement from Badminton

Kapanlagi.com - Badminton player Tontowi Ahmad is one of the legends, especially in mixed doubles. Together with his former partner, Lilyana Natsir, the man commonly known as Owi has won various prestigious titles, from world championships to the Olympics.

After Butet (Lilyana Natsir's nickname) retired, Owi continued to play badminton. He was briefly paired with Gloria Emmanuelle Widjaja and Winny Oktavina Kandow.

Now, Owi has saddened his teammates and badminton fans after announcing his retirement on Monday (18/5/2020). He conveyed this through his official Instagram account.

1.

"This is the time to say goodbye to something that I have been devoted to for more than half of my life, which has made my life more colorful. Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's joyful, but I am proud of what I have achieved, where I have reached the pinnacle of success that I and my parents and family have hoped for. I did hope that I could end this at the top of the podium, but this is life, not always what we want can be achieved, considering the current situation and conditions. But whatever happens, I am very grateful to be in the position I am now. I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career in badminton all this time, whom I cannot mention one by one. And now it's time for me to continue my life to achieve success in other fields," Owi wrote.

2. Support from Colleagues and Fans

Several Indonesian badminton stars expressed their support for Owi, such as Mohammad Ahsan, Greysia Polli, Fajar Alfian, and Butet herself. #TerimaKasihOWi also became a trending topic on Twitter as netizens expressed their gratitude for Owi's efforts.

Thank you for your dedication and contribution to the badminton field, Tontowi Ahmad. May you continue to be successful and stay healthy!

(kpl/pit)