NAIROBI: Two-time world 3000 metres steeplechase champion and world record-holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen announced his retirement on Friday after failing to overcome a long-term achilles tendon injury. The 33-year-old Kenyan-born athlete, who caused an international furor when he defected to Qatar in 2003, said the injury had taken its toll on his career and he could not risk running again. “It is time to call it a day. Running isn’t the only thing that can occupy one’s life. There are other things to do,” Shaheen told AFP from the Kenyan north-west town of Eldoret, where he has settled down to run a family business. Shaheen, formerly known as Stephen Cherono, was among the first Kenyan athletes to change their nationality. He won several gold medals under the Qatari colours, including the 2003 and 2005 World championships.