Opinion | Cyclist Choi Ki-ho's early retirement a crying shame

Something must be really wrong if a talented young athlete on the cusp of achieving great things for Hong Kong, and who is also being chased by a foreign professional team, should decide to throw it all away in the interests of going back to school.

Cyclist Choi Ki-ho is a naturally gifted athlete and was being spoken of as the next Wong Kam-po, Hong Kong's top road-racer who has proudly represented the city for the past two decades or more at the Olympics and Asian Games - winning multiple medals in the latter.

Choi is Wong's heir apparent. Or he was supposed to be, until he shocked cycling officials this week, as well as those at the Hong Kong Sports Institute where he is an elite athlete, with the news that he wants to quit the sport.

The reason he offered is that his interest has waned. To put it simply, at 22, Choi is burnt out. He wants to return to school and pursue business studies.

This is sad. While we don't discourage athletes from chasing an academic future - the lifespan of an athlete is limited in sport and he or she must look ahead - it is a still a massive jolt to discover that a budding career is being cut short to secure a long-term future.

Choi burst on to the scene three years ago when he won a gold medal in the madison at the World Cup with teammate Kwok Ho-ting. That result underlined the belief that he was one of the hottest young things around and someone who was destined to carry on the good work of Wong, our King of the Road.

What makes his decision even more unfathomable is that he has also turned down a contract with a top professional cycling team in Australia who have competed in the Tour de France for many years. His refusal to even entertain this lucrative offer is evidence that he is serious about quitting the sport. Not many Hong Kong riders get offers from overseas teams, and for him to turn his back on such a golden opportunity speaks volumes for his state of mind.