CHENGDU, Sichuan Province - World second-ranked badminton player Chen Hong has withdrawn from the Chinese national team to enjoy life and badminton.

Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat (R) is congratulated by China's Chen Hong after winning the men's single final at the Asian Badminton Championship in Malaysia's southern state of Johor April 15, 2007. [Reuters]

The 27-year-old Chen, ranked only after compatriot Lin Dan in the world, has been competing in international tournaments in the name of, as Chen himself put it, a "self-employed player".

"Life has been better since I resigned from the national team in February," said Chen, who has played badminton since the age of 9 and had been on the national team for 10 years.

"I can still play the sport which I love and I can also enjoy my life," he added.

Chinese head coach Li Yongbo said Chen is China's only "free agent" in badminton.

"The Chinese sports system is different from the rest of the world," said the coach. "Chen is the first badminton free agent from China."

Aware of a possibility that Chen might switch his allegiance to other teams, Li has held out an olive branch to Chen, saying the resurgent player could still make the Olympic team.

Chen, hailing from southeast China's Fujian province, quit the national team after being omitted from last December's Asian Games, but came out of retirement in April.

Liu later denounced Chen's comeback on his own terms as being bad for the national team, but during the China Masters last week was more conciliatory.

"If he can maintain this level, and earn enough Olympic qualifying points, then he still has a chance to represent the national team at next year's Olympics," Liu said of Chen, who last week won the Thailand Open in Bangkok.