Empathy and care for athletes is para-mount

HE was born with Erb’s Palsy, a nerve condition that left his right arm weak and with little motion. For most, that would be the death knell for any sporting ambition.

Not Cheah Liek Hou.

Although unable to lift his right arm beyond the shoulder, he turned to his left hand – and let the racquet do the talking.

At 12, he entered the Bukit Jalil Sports School, taking on able-bodied players with quiet determination.

By his teens, he was already on the path to representing Malaysia.

Former international Woon Sze Mei recognised his potential and guided him into the para system when the country was just beginning to build the programme.

At 16, Liek Hou won his first SU5 world title – for athletes with upper limb impairment.

He never looked back.

Today, the corporate communications graduate has 16 world titles, two Paralympic gold med als and 70-plus international crowns.

His journey was never smooth. There were doubts, ridicule and moments of deep struggle but he endured, proving that resilience can outmatch limitation.

When badminton was not included in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he nearly walked away though. He took a job and played part-time.

Then came Tokyo 2020 when the sport made its debut.

“After the sport was included, I returned full-time, gave up my job and went all out,” he said.

He even shed 20kg to regain peak condition under coaches Datuk Rashid Sidek and Nova Armada. It was a sacrifice that led to Malaysia’s first Paralympic badminton gold.

He defended it again in Paris and is now aiming for Los Angeles 2028, when he turns 38.

However, what truly distinguishes Liek Hou is not the medals, but his courage beyond competition.

He stood up for himself and his teammates when the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) failed to pay incentives owed to them after Paris.

The situation escalated to the point where Liek Hou was threatened with sanctions if he did not comply.

But he held his ground. The sanction threat eventually fell through but the episode left uncomfortable questions about how athletes are treated even after delivering glory.

Instead of letting this episode eat him up, Liek Hou used it as motivation to go all out to win at the world meet.

Not every athlete, however, has had the same outcome.

Young swimmer Zy Lee Ker, who was born without three limbs, qualified for three events for Paris but was left out due to a controversial selection decision.

Refusing to see his dream end there, the 19-year-old chose to represent Thailand, eligible through his mother.

He endured more than a year out of competition to meet International Paralympic Committee (IPC) nationality transfer rules before returning to the pool.

In January, wearing Thai colours for the first time, he won two bronze medals at the Asean Para Games. Malaysia’s loss became another nation’s gain.

Then there is shot putt star Mohd Ziyad Zolkefli, who continues preparing for the world championships even during Ramadan.

He trains deep into the night, sometimes until 2am, adjusting his life to ensure nothing compromises performance.

These are athletes who adapt, sacrifice and persist.

They ask for little but only fairness, clarity and support to match their commitment.

Yet decisions made far from the arena can sometimes undo years of effort. It’s not just Malaysia. Around the world, athletes are often caught in issues beyond their control.

Recently, Winter Paralympic hosts Italy called on the IPC to review their decision to allow selected Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under national symbols in Milan, arguing that it contradicted the spirit of sport amid ongoing conflict.

It could be administrative disputes, selection controversies or geopolitical tensions, but athletes are too often the ones left navigating uncertainty.

Para athletes, perhaps more than most, embody resilience.

They do not wait for perfect conditions but they push forward regardless.

Perhaps, it is time the system shows the same resolve. Surely that should hit the nerve.