Neither man is a household name in our parts, but when two icons of Asian sport decided it was time to quit, they pulled out all the stops in China and Japan.
Kaio Hiroyuki, a 38-year-old veteran sumo wrestler, announced his retirement in Nagoya, Japan, after winning only three of his 10 fights in the Grand Sumo tournament. The announcement came just a week after he posted his 1046th career win last week - against Mongolian Kyokutenho in the same tournament - surpassing former grand champion Chiyonofuji for the most wins.
His poor record at the Nagoya tournament meant he needed to win his remaining five bouts to avoid facing demotion at the next tournament in September.
Since 2005, Kaio suffered various injuries and rumours of retirement surfaced whenever he struggled in a tournament. He won five Emperor's Cups.
The retirement of 30-year-old Yao Ming, one of the star players in the National Basketball Association, had been long expected but it still filled the huge banqueting hall at a plush Pudong hotel in China.
Yao stands 2.03m tall and is considered one of the best centres in basketball. Like Kaio, he was forced into retirement by injuries at the tail-end of his career.
His announcement was the worst-kept secret in sport and he said he would not return to the Houston Rockets next season. China's state broadcaster CCTV carried the announcement live.
It is feared that his retirement will severely reduce interest in the game in Asia. Chinese interest in the US-based league soared when the Houston Rockets made the towering Shanghai-born centre the top pick in the 2002 draft, but without an heir apparent to his throne the NBA could see a drop in its fans in China.
China is the NBA's largest market outside of the US and keeping the interest of 30million viewers will be a daunting task as many fans have already been tuning out with Yao on the sidelines.
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