Lima, Jan 8 (IANS): World Boxing Association (WBA) world champion Kina Malpartida of Peru announced her retirement.

"It is better to retire when one is on top. A boxer has to be in her maximum level to fight because the physical and mental wear is tremendous," Malpartida, super featherweight (130 lb or 60 kg), told a local radio station in a sports show.

"It was very difficult for me to take the decision. The doors are open, maybe in the future I will fight again, but I am trying to seek other life choices," Xinhua reported Wednesday quoting Malpartida.

After winning the world championship by defeating US Maureen Shea by technical knock out (TKO), in a fight held in Feb 2009 in Madison Square Garden, the Peruvian boxer successfully defended her title for four more times.

Malpartida, 33, has competed in 17 fights, from which she won 14, 10 by unanimous decision and four by TKO, while she was defeated three times, two by unanimous decision and one by TKO.

Malpartida is now designing clothes and managing her own casual and sports cloth trademark. She also takes part in a reality show in the Peruvian television.