KUALA LUMPUR: All quarters should respect the decision by two national sports stars, Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Nicol David should they decide to retire in the near future.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said what is more important is that there must be new rising stars to replace the duo in badminton and squash respectively.
"I have personally talked to them about their future and I told them that all kinds of sports institution in the country will (continue to) support them until they intend to retire," he said.
Khairy was speaking at a press conference after officiating the Anti-Doping Awareness Campaign organised by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) at Wisma OCM here today.
Khairy said Nicol, 33, had told him that she would still be in action at least for the next five years while Chong Wei wanted to play for at least another year.
"The decision (to retire) is their rights. If Chong Wei feels that the World Tournament in Glasgow in August this year will be his last, we have to respect his decision," he said.
Meanwhile, Khairy urged the three national sepak takraw players who were cleared of suspension by the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) recently, to focus on helping the national squad in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games this August.
"I hope that there will be no recurrence of such cases in future which can create problem and (give) negative perception on sepak takraw," he said.
During a meeting in Bangkok on Wednesday, Istaf withdrew the charges against the players - Ahmad Aizat Mohd Nor Azmi, Mohd Khairol Zaman Hamir Akhbar and Aidil Aiman Azwawi - who had allegedly skipped a dope test during Thailand King's Cup Sepaktakraw World Championship in October last year. - BERNAMA