"I still need to seek permission from my husband despite him being highly supportive of me. He understands that I am not only his but I also belong to Indonesia's badminton. Maybe we will discuss it again later," Polii stated during a press conference here on Friday.
Polii revealed that four years back, Indonesian Badminton Association's Executive Board (PP PBSI) head, Alex Tirta, had expressed hope that Polii would continue to contribute to the nation's badminton development.
The determination to retire from badminton after her 19-year stellar sports career emboldened since last year and prompted her to discuss the matter for the second time with Tirta, she stated.
"When I had a face-to-face discussion with Tirta, (he offered) a lot of choices for me to continue contributing to the national badminton sports. It can be everything. (I admit) now (my future career) is not clear yet, but I realize I have other priorities. I understand that I must continue my contribution to the national badminton (domain)," the athlete expounded.
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Polii, who won a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in the women's doubles badminton event along with Apriyani Rahayu, affirmed that she would first deliberate her future career choices with her family, who became her main reason to retire.
Meanwhile, Tirta remarked that while Polii's retirement will be a certainty, he was optimistic that the badminton athlete would continue her contribution to national sports in any field of her choice.
"We hope her love and support for Indonesia's badminton would be unwavering. Actually, me and the PBSI want her to continue her career. We still need a person like Greysia, who is loved by all junior and senior athletes," the PBSI Executive Board chair remarked.
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Translator: Roy Bachtiar, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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