KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia may not have a facility like the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, but the national para-badminton squad is replicating its conditions at the National Sports Institute (NSI) ahead of the Paris Paralympics, which kicks off on August 28.
For the past month, national para men’s singles champion Cheah Liek Hou, Muhammad Fareez Annuar, and coach Nova Widianto have been using the NSI hall as their central training venue.
The hall’s wind conditions are similar to those at Porte de La Chapelle, making it an ideal location for their preparation.
The team has also received support from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), which provided two badminton court mats for their training.
Speaking to Scoop, Liek Hou expressed gratitude for BAM’s assistance, noting that the NSI venue not only mirrors the conditions they will face in Paris but also allows the NSI sports science team to conduct biomechanical tests, further enhancing their performance.
To fully focus on their training, Liek Hou and Fareez are staying at the National Sports Council (NSC) dormitory, minimising distractions.
“I must thank BAM, especially its president, Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria. I messaged him for help because I wanted to enter the camp in Bukit Jalil, and we didn’t have any badminton court mats. He asked me to contact Datuk Kenny Goh (secretary general).
“During the meeting at BAM, Datuk Kenny didn’t raise any objections and immediately took steps to find badminton court mats that could be sent here.
“This venue originally had no badminton court mats, so training here allows us to focus more and avoid distractions. We can stay, eat, and recover here.
“I’m not going home because I’m eager to win at the Paris Paralympics,” said Liek Hou.
Liek Hou, 36, is set to make his second appearance at the world’s largest sporting event, aiming to defend his gold medal in the SU5 category (hand impairment).
As for Fareez, who only joined the national camp last year, he will be making his debut at this event in the same category as Liek Hou. – August 14, 2024