10 Things To Know About Two-Time Para Badminton Gold Medallist Cheah Liek Hou
The GOAT of para badminton.
By Celine Low — 03 Sep 2024, 06:02 PM
Malaysia has secured its first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with Cheah Liek Hou winning the badminton men's singles SU5 event today, 3 September
In a 41-minute match, the 36-year-old managed to defend his Paralympic podium spot after overcoming Indonesia's Suryo Nugroho with scores of 21-13 and 21-15.
Cheah is now a two-time Paralympics champion, having won his first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
1. Cheah began playing badminton when he was 9 years old
The Kuala Lumpur native has competed in both abled-bodied and para-badminton tournaments before focusing exclusively on the latter after obtaining his degree.
Cheah's mother recognised his talent for badminton early on. "My mother must have sensed something when she saw how absorbed I was when I played badminton. One day, when I was just 9 years old, she told me, 'You have to become a professional badminton player'," he told The Nippon Foundation Parasports Support Centre.
2. He was born with Erb's palsy, a nerve condition that causes his right arm to have reduced strength and stability
As a result, he can't raise his right arm past shoulder height or perform tasks requiring both arms, such as lifting.
Cheah competes in the men's singles SU5 category. According to the Paralympic System of Classification, "SU" stands for "Standing/Upper", and this category is for athletes who have impairment in the upper limbs. Cheah plays with his left hand.
Balancing can be challenging for Cheah due to his weaker shoulder, especially during quick dashes across the court. So, the athlete constantly trains his right side to improve his performance.
"I train my right side for four days and spend two days training on my left side, which is my strong form," he explained in a 2021 CNA interview.
Cheah also shared that he was teased for his physical impairment but used it as motivation, according to a Bernama report.
"At that time, there was a group of individuals who would tease and joke about how I wanted to play against able-bodied players when I couldn't even win against the para-atheletes," he said.
3. Cheah first represented Malaysia in the ASEAN Para Games in Vietnam when he was 15
In 2003, The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) sought to develop para-athletes and invited Cheah to join the team.
Since then, Cheah has gone on to become a 14-time world champion, winning all 33 matches he competed in this year.
4. His journey to the Paralympics was an 18-year wait
Cheah made his Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the first time badminton was included.
When he first joined competitive badminton, his coach told him that the sport would eventually be included in the Paralympic programme, but the exact date of its inclusion was uncertain.
"I just waited and waited. In the end, I waited for 18 years to play the first Paralympic Games for para badminton in Tokyo," he said.
5. During that long wait, Cheah almost quit in 2015 when he realised that para badminton was not included in the Rio 2016 Paralympics
Cheah, a corporate communication graduate, worked as a regional strategic account manager at a sports firm in 2015 and badminton became a part-time pursuit.
When badminton was included in the Tokyo Paralympics, he left his corporate job to focus fully on the sport. With the help of coaches Nova Armada and Datuk Rashid Sidek, Cheah managed to shed off 20kg and rebuilt his form and stamina.
"It has been an uphill battle. The salary gap between my previous job and a full-time badminton athlete is vast. I am not considered young in the sports world, I also have commitments. But that didn't stop me, and today, I'll be representing Malaysia to join the Paralympic Games in Tokyo," he said.
6. Cheah's life story was immortalised in a film by Malaysian director Adrian Teh
The film, Gold, features Malaysian actors Jack Tan and Farid Kamil, who play Cheah and his coach Rashid, respectively. The film was released in theatres on 11 July 2024.
According to The Star, Cheah was initially reluctant to adapt his life story into a movie, unsure if it would resonate with audiences. However, Teh's persuasion convinced him otherwise. The director spent hours interviewing both Cheah and Rashid to prepare for the film.
"We want to share his inspirational story with Malaysians, as he is living proof that being handicapped is not an obstacle to achieving greatness for the nation," Teh told the New Straits Times.
Watch the trailer for the film here:
7. When asked which player he'd like to be, Cheah chose himself
"I want to be myself, but as a younger version," said Cheah.
Watch the full video below:
8. Cheah plans to celebrate his win with his family
The world number one said he plans to take his wife, Dewi Febriana, back to her hometown in Medan, Indonesia, and travel abroad together, as a token of appreciation for her unwavering support, reported the Malay Mail.
9. Cheah doesn't have plans to retire just yet
Although uncertain of his chances to compete in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, he has set his sights on the upcoming 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
"The gold medal win here shows that my condition is still strong, so I want to set more records and create history in para badminton as long as I can," he said.
10. He hopes to contribute to the future of Malaysian para badminton by mentoring players
Cheah wants to train and mentor his men's doubles partner Muhammad Fareez Anuar and hopes to be able to serve as a member of national team management.
