Chinese gaming 'icon' retires at 23 due to ill-health
China’s top online gamer Jian Zihao is retiring at 23 after an eight-year career due to gaming-related health complications, including obesity.
Mr Jian, known by his player name “Uzi,” was diagnosed with diabetes last year.
“I tried to adjust my living habits, control my diet, lose weight, do exercises, and take meds, but my condition didn’t change,” he wrote on social media, announcing his retirement to five million followers.
"My mental state is not as good as before, due to the medicine, and the doctor warned that if the situation worsens, there'll soon be complications. Plus, the problems with my hands are relatively serious, so my physical condition doesn't allow me to go on competing in the game world.”
Mr Jian’s team, Royal Never Give Up, lamented his retirement, describing him as “not only the heart and soul of [the team], but also an icon in the esports world as a whole."
Health issues arose as early as 2015 for Mr Jian, who made a splash his debut year by achieving the best-ever record in the multi-player online battle game League of Legends in China.
He went on to win gold medals for China in international e-sports tournaments, according to state media.
In 2018, Mr Jian said he had to be treated by a doctor for at least half an hour after every practice and match.
“But I also believe that the best athletes in every sport in the world reach the top with injuries by pushing through the pain that ordinary people can't bear,” he said, reported state media. “That's the price of being an esports player."
“Take some rest and take good care of yourself. You will always be our pride,” commented one user on social media.
Gaming has soared in China, now the world’s second-largest market, worth 230 billion rmb (£25.68 billion) a year, according to China Audio-Video Association. E-sports players have doubled in the last five years to 440 million in the country.
But the surge has also led to greater concerns about gaming addictions, poor lifestyle habits and health complications.
China last November set curfews for teenage gamers, banning them from playing between 10pm and 8am and limiting sessions to 1.5 on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends.
