There are no other words that I can say apart from thank you.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - National women's doubles badminton athlete Greysia Polii announced that she will officially retire from her sports career during a farewell event, specifically held before the final round of the 2022 Indonesia Masters on June 12.

The Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner will compete for one last time during the exhibition match specifically held by the Indonesia Masters organizer, she noted during the Greysia Polii: Testimonial Day held on Sunday.

"The idea of this event originally came from my coach Engh Hian and was approved by PBSI (Indonesian Badminton Association) and sponsors to hold the farewell event later," she noted during a press conference here on Friday.

"I believe that this is a mark of appreciation by the PBSI and sponsors for their outstanding athlete. There are no other words that I can say apart from thank you," she remarked.

Polii's statement has placed her closer to the end of her career as Indonesia’s badminton athlete.

She managed to log a historical record of being the first Indonesian women's doubles player to have contributed an Olympics gold medal along with her partner, Apriyani Rahayu.

In addition, the decision to hang the racket also ends Polii's journey as an athlete in PBSI's National Traning Center (Pelatnas) after 19 years and shuttling between the women's doubles and mixed doubles categories.

She also thanked PBSI that had become her home for 19 years.

Moreover, this gratitude was not only directed toward the current managers but also the earlier managers that had helped her and other athletes in bringing out their best performance.

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Meanwhile, PBSI's Executive Board (PP) Daily Head, Alex Tirta, also thanked Polii for her positive and historical contribution to Indonesia's badminton domain.

"I thank Greysia. She is our extraordinary athlete. Nineteen years are certainly not a short period of time for her to remain in badminton. She has made extraordinary efforts," he stated.

"Joy and sadness, rise and fall have all been experienced by Greysia," he stated.

Tirta deemed that throughout her time in Pelatnas in Cipayung, Polii had given her best performance and become an unforgettable part of the national badminton scene.

"While in PBSI, she was paired with various players, such as Kevin (Sanjaya Sukamuljo), Flandy Limpele, Vita Marisa, and then Apriyani in which she managed to bag the Olympics gold medal," he remarked.

"That dedication is what has made her who she is now," he added.

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Translator: Roy Rosa B, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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