KUALA LUMPUR: If there's one man who can epitomise the saying "been there, done that", it would definitely be Malaysia's ageing shuttler Wong Choong Hann.

The city-born, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Feb 17, has been a familiar face in the international circuit for 13 years.

Rising to top level play, Choong Hann won the 1997 Dutch Open. He may not be feared as he once was, but those who know him well enough know better that to brush aside the player who has the knack of pulling a rabbit out of the hat — like at the Beijing Olympics where he knocked out defending champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the last 16.

However, competing in international tournaments seems to be taking a toll on Choong Hann. Last year proved to be a real test for him as he had to stay away from his wife and two children due to his commitment on the international front. This probably explains why the seasoned campaigner is considering retirement.

"It was tough to be away from my family whenever I was on national duty. I love what I'm doing but I'm going to be 33 soon, so I have to take a lot of things into consideration. I have my children (a girl, three) and a one-year-old son whom I have to attend to. I had to travel a lot last year and this year I hope to cut down on some of the overseas assignments.

"I can't say too much now. I'll go wherever badminton takes me. Then, I'll decide to quit either end of this year or early next year. It's been a long time, it is something like a routine to me already," said the world No 14, who anticipates competing in 12 to 14 events this year.

Choong Hann's next task is the German Open next month. Last year, he reached the quarterfinal. This time around, he said he would accept nothing less than the quarterfinal.