Hsu Ann wants glorious retirement
A PODIUM finish at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017) this month could be the perfect final curtain for wakeboarder Cheah Hsu Ann.
The 29-year-old, who tied the knot in April with BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) exponent Joakim Chienh, is planning to call it quits after the Games and move to Sweden).
Hsu Ann, who took a break from the corporate law field in 2014 to focus on her passion, believes it’s finally time to settle down.
“I reached the final in 2011 (Palembang) and came really close to winning a medal in 2015 (Singapore). This time I want to stand on the podium,” said the Malaysia Open champion.
“I hope to win a silver medal at least but I’ll be happy to stand on the podium. I will be retiring after this, so it will be nice.
“I have been involved in the sport for the past nine years and about six years competitively. I think it’s time for me to focus on starting a family.”
Hsu Ann tipped Singapore’s Sasha Christian to be the star of the event in the women’s open and Indonesia’s Galuh Mutiara Maulidina to also be one of the medal contenders.
Hsu Ann added that she will not give up the sport entirely, and hopes its popularity will pick up here.
“I will still wakeboard when I come across any competition when I am overseas.
“It’s really cold in Sweden, so the season is short. In Malaysia, we get to wakeboard all year round.
“I hope that with home ground advantage, we will do well at the Sea Games and help to popularise the sport. For now, it’s still very expensive because you will need a boat and also petrol to operate it.
“In other countries, they’ve got cable parks. There are automated machines and it’s much more cost efficient. Hopefully we get to see something like that here soon.”