KUALA LUMPUR – To compete and shine at the highest level, an athlete needs to work really hard, make tough choices, and have the best preparation before tournaments.
Another key ingredient to success, often overlooked, is getting enough sleep for the body and mind to recover.
Tokyo Paralympics gold medal winner Cheah Liek Hou recognises the importance of a good night’s sleep. He opened up about his comfy bed at the Paris Paralympics Athletes’ Village, saying it has been essential for his recovery.
Having arrived in the French capital on August 23, Liek Hou’s main aim was to acclimatise to the challenging summer conditions.
“I don’t have much to complain about, but it is really hot during the day. At noon, the temperature spikes to about 30°C.
“Because it’s so difficult to take a nap in the afternoons, even with the help of portable coolers, it is crucial for me to get a good night’s sleep. Thankfully, the cardboard beds here, just like in Tokyo, are really comfortable,” Liek Hou told Scoop after getting his Paris Paralympics campaign off to a winning start yesterday.
The 36-year-old, eight-time world champion in the men’s singles SU5 (standing upper) category, eased past Poland’s Bartlomiej Mroz 21-10, 21-6 in the opening Group A tie at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
Liek Hou, who made history by becoming the first shuttler to win a Paralympic gold medal, will play France’s Meril Loquette tomorrow and Indonesia’s Suryo Nugroho the following day. The top two players from Groups A and B will advance to the semi-finals.
When asked about how he feels coming into the tournament as an ageing defending champion, Liek Hou replied: “I feel great, actually. It’s good that we came to France earlier; my body has acclimatised to the timing and conditions here.”
Liek Hou is not the only Malaysian men’s singles SU5 shuttler in France. In Group B, Muhammad Fareez Anuar also got off to a great start yesterday when he upset world number two Fang Jen-yu of Chinese Taipei 21-14, 21-18.
Fareez, who only needs one more win to secure a semi-finals berth, takes on Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Dheva Anrimusthi of Indonesia today. – August 30, 2024