NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women's Basketball Worldwide) - It was with real sadness that I found out recently that the hugely talented Slovak Republic star Martina Kissova has had to retire from the game at just 23-years-old.

A knee injury has forced her to end her dreams of a career as a professional player that had at least a decade left to play out in front of her - for both club and country.

It is so frustrating to see this happen for the neutral like myself, who has enjoyed watching a young player emerging. But of course mentally it must be an incredible challenge to Martina to come to terms with the fact she can't play at the top level any longer. She will now try life away from the sport having completed studies in another area.

Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

I certainly took note of her career at youth level and ironically, one of my memories was her not taking part at the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship 2012 in Debrecen. Kissova battled through several such setbacks and looked to have finally turned the corner.

Obviously I thought this from having followed her progress closely through EuroLeague Women with Good Angels Kosice, so the news of her career coming to an end was particularly galling because she had been looking so sharp and dynamic for Slovak Republic last year at EuroBasket Women 2015, something that I made several references to at the time of the event.

Kissova was destined to be an influential member of a new generation with the Slovak Republic national team and alongside the likes of Barbora Balintova and Zofia Hrsucakova, could have helped them to continue punching above their weight.

The fate of Kissova should serve as a timely reminder about the fragility of any athlete's career and life plans. They can be gradually eroded away - or sometimes torn up in a millisecond. Both are cruel outcomes.

That is why the notion of 'It will never happen to me' is so dangerous and also why the work of FIBA Players’ Commission members such as Swedish national team player Elisabeth Egnell is so important.

Elisabeth Egnell was working to educate young players at the 2016 FIBA World Championship for Men and Women in Zaragoza.

She was in Zaragoza last month at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men and Women to underline the importance of all players thinking about life outside of the game from the very outset – not when the bad news arrives via injury, a failure to land a contract or natural retirement because of age.

Trying to get teenagers in particular to think that they are not infallible and indestructible is a tough assignment. But it is good to see FIBA giving the scope for people like Egnell to spread this key message.

It is of course only one of many other important messages that FIBA can and indeed should be pushing to young players in particular.

For now though, I simply wish Martina Kissova the very best of luck and it is with sincere regret I will not be able to watch and enjoy any more performances in Good Angels Kosice or Slovak Republic colours.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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