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Esports 'icon' retires at 23 due to health concerns

League of Legends icon "Uzi" has retired due to problems with diabetes and shoulder pain - Telegraph
League of Legends icon "Uzi" has retired due to problems with diabetes and shoulder pain - Telegraph

One of the world’s most-famous esports players has retired at the age of 23, citing significant health problems.

China’s Jian Zihao, known by his moniker “Uzi”, is the record holder for most kills in online battle arena game League of Legends.

The professional gamer stated problems with diabetes and shoulder pain as reasons for leaving esports in a lengthy post on Chinese social media site Weibo.

Uzi said that he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year and stated that the condition was the result of constant stress, obesity, an irregular diet and staying up late.

“I regret to tell everyone that I have decided to retire,” he said.

“The glycated hemoglobin index has reached 11pc and the normal level should be around 6.5pc or less. In the past six months, I have slowly changed my work schedule, controlled diet, lost weight, exercised, and taken medicine but the situation has not changed.”

Uzi, who previously led China’s national esports team to a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2018, said that shoulder pain had dogged him for years and even considered leaving the sport at 18 years of age.

The gamer said that the medication he has started taking has also negatively impacted his mental wellbeing.

Uzi's professional team Royal Never Give Up (RNG), described him as an “icon in the esports world as a whole”.

“From a teenager onwards he never gave up and worked as hard as he could to be the best he could be in his role, he inspired many,” RNG said.

In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that Uzi will “say goodbye to you for now” and that he will “probably just be Jian Zihao from now on”.

Uzi hinted that if there was “enough time and if I’m still able” he may return to professional esports one day.

Esports players typically have a short-career span with many of them tapping out by their mid-twenties. Often gamers carry on their careers by using their personalities as YouTube and Twitch streamers.

Injuries have hit esports in the past with other players retiring due to bad posture and even a collapsed lung in one instance.