The 29-year-old submitted her resignation letter to the National Sports Council (NSC) and Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) on Tuesday.

“I’d been considering leaving the national team since last year, but finally decided to take the plunge after consulting my family members recently. It seems easy, but it’s actually a very difficult decision to make.

“This decision is to determine the direction of my life. I’m not saying there’s no future in bowling because it was through bowling that people now know me. But I think it’s enough after 11 long years.

“The time has come for me to think of a more stable career. Out there seems to be a place that can offer me a more secure future,” she told a press conference today.

She explained that she previously had to reject job offers as well as contracts due to her commitment to the national team and her packed training schedule.

While denying her retirement had anything to do with the internal problems in the team as well as in the MTBC, Syaidatul also admitted that she did not regret her decision as she has achieved her dream of bringing glory to the country.

Her top achievements include winning the women’s doubles gold medal at the 2015 Asian Championships in Bangkok; bagging team gold at the 2017 World Championships in Las Vegas; and clinching the trios gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia.

“Bowling is part of my life, so I am not actually retiring 100%. I will definitely bowl as a professional if there are Open championships. Maybe after this, I’ll become a coach at the grassroots level,” she said.