Retired sports stars aim at new goals

After ending a career of days built around a rigorous schedule of training, meals, working out and sleeping, former badminton champion Gong Weijie opted to go into sports education after retiring at the age of 29.

As co-founder of a professional badminton training club in Beijing, he returned to a new starting line and dedicated himself to providing a platform that will allow children and teenagers to learn the sport.

Passing up the opportunity to coach the official sports team of Xiamen, capital of Fujian province, Gong opened the club with his business partner, Sun Qihong, to promote physical education in Beijing. Learning badminton can play an important role in the healthy growth of teenagers, and it can supplement education at school and in the family, according to Gong.