PETALING JAYA: National para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou has expressed his willingness to reconcile with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) over the 2024 Paris Paralympics reward issue.
Liek Hou said, he was open to meeting with PCM to mend ties and ease tensions, which had somewhat affected his mental state recently.
"Why not? I'm open to discuss with them… if they (PCM) want, I can always welcome them," he told a press conference here on Wednesday (Sept 24).
However, the two-time Paralympic men's singles SU5 (physical impairment) gold medallist admitted that PCM has yet to contact him for clarification regarding the controversy sparked by his recent social media post.
The 38-year-old had claimed that PCM failed to deliver the promised RM60,000 cash incentive after his Paris 2024 gold medal win, voicing his frustration through social media.
According to media reports, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin had last year announced that gold medallists at the prestigious Games would each receive RM60,000 in cash, contributed by three external companies to boost the athletes' motivation.
The delay in payment, however, led to a public dispute, with PCM last Thursday (Sept 18) considering legal action and suspension against the shuttler.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, however, confirmed on Sunday (Sept 21) that no suspension was imposed, saying Liek Hou's demand was not a disciplinary breach but rather related to an unsettled sponsorship commitment.
Liek Hou said he now considers the issue resolved after receiving the outstanding RM35,000 on Tuesday (Sept 23) from retail chain 99 Speed Mart Sdn Bhd, having earlier received RM25,000 from PCM.
"I think this issue is settled. I've received the full RM60,000… so now, what I want to do is focus on training for upcoming tournaments and try to win more titles for the country," he said.
Earlier, the world number one also received an additional RM35,000 reward from Johor-based property developer Faire Development.
Grateful for the contribution, Liek Hou said Faire Development was the first company to reach out after he voiced his concerns about the Paris 2024 reward issue on social media.
Faire Development managing director Kenneth Lim said the company was honoured to recognise Liek Hou's dedication and empathised with the challenges he had faced recently. – Bernama
