PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Cheah Liek Hou overcame a demanding schedule to return to the top of the Asian Para Games podium after 12 years.
The 38-year-old captured the men’s doubles SU5 gold medal with Faris Azri yesterday to secure Malaysia’s first badminton gold at the Asian Para Games since 2014.
Liek Hou completed a double in Incheon that year following his success at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
He also won the men’s doubles title in 2010 and 2014 with Suhaili Laiman.
Liek Hou secured his third doubles crown alongside Faris with a 21-8, 21-13 win over South Korea’s Jeon Sun-woo-Kim Ge-yeon in their final group match yesterday.
The Malaysians topped the four-pair league after earlier defeating Taiwan’s Fang Jen-yu-Pu Gui-yu and Thailand’s Pricha Somsiri-Nattaphon Thaweesap before wrapping up the title with a 29-minute win over the South Koreans.
Liek Hou and Faris had faced each other in the men’s singles quarter-finals just two hours earlier where the former won 21-12, 21-10 in 27 minutes to reach the semi-finals.
The victory brought redemption for Liek Hou, who suffered disappointment at Hangzhou three years ago after losing the men’s singles gold to Indonesia’s Dheva Anrimusthi and securing only a doubles bronze with former partner Fareez Anuar.
“I’m glad to win gold at the Asian Para Games again after 12 years.
“It was not easy because everyone is improving in singles and doubles, so we needed to give our full focus,” he said.
“We could not underestimate any of our opponents and had to give 100% as they used different strategies.
“I have a tough schedule here and the priority now is to recover for the singles semi-finals tomorrow (today).”
The pair will receive their gold medals on Friday after all remaining finals are completed.
“Hopefully, I can also be on the podium for the singles,” said Liek Hou, who has a stern test ahead in the semi-finals today against China’s Li Ming Pan, who defeated him at the same stage in last year’s China Para Badminton International.
