Taipei, Aug 4 (IANS) Following an argument with the country’s delegation to the Olympics Games, Taiwan’s tennis star Hsieh Su-Wei on Thursday announced that she is pulling out of the Rio Games and will not play for her country in any future tournaments.
Hsieh’s announcement came after she had a meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday afternoon with officials from the Chinese-Taipei Olympic Committee about perceived issues with the system, reports Efe.
During the meeting, a row broke out between the two sides during which one of the officials banged a table and shouted at her.
In a Facebook post, the 30-year-old said she had retired from tennis “as of today”.
“I will never be drafted to become a player on the national team again,” she added.
Her father Hsieh Tze-lung, later issued a statement of his own on the social network, saying he fully supported his daughter’s decision.
Last month, Hsieh held a press conference in Taipei where she complained that the Chinese-Taipei Tennis Association would not pay for her coach to go with her to Rio de Janeiro, citing a limited budget.
The tennis star also hinted the special treatment given to siblings Jan Yung-jan and Chan Hao-ching, who were allowed to bring their coach to Rio.
Hsieh later announced that she would drop out of doubles and play only singles matches at the Olympic Games.
The Chinese-Taipei Olympic Committee today issued a statement, saying it regretted Hsieh’s comments but still hoped that she would continue to play in the Rio Olympics, as per the schedule, an epa journalist reported.
Hsieh began playing tennis at the age of 5 and turned pro in 2001. She won the 2013 Wimbledon and 2014 French Open doubles championships with her Chinese partner Peng Shuai, and is currently ranked 83 for singles and 70 for doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association.
She was one of five Taiwanese tennis players due to take part in the Rio Olympics.