KUALA LUMPUR — Age may be catching up with Cheah Liek Hou, but the 37-year-old Malaysian para badminton ace is still oozing class and determination.
Fresh from winning two titles at the Asian Para Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Liek Hou has now set his sights on gold at next year’s Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
However, the seasoned campaigner admitted that staying on course will require careful management of his training intensity and a strict rehabilitation plan to deal with a nagging left heel injury.
“This injury has been lingering for a long time and takes a long time to recover. I’ve had it since 2022, but I’ve continued to play through it,” Liek Hou told Scoop.
“However, I’m not getting any younger, and the recovery process is slower now.
“As I’ve said before, my main target is to win gold at the Asian Para Games next year. I’m very proud and happy to win two titles here, especially against my main rivals — but there’s still a long way to go.
“I have to be very careful with training after this and follow a strict rehab programme, so I can be in top shape for the Asian Para Games.”
In the men’s singles SU5 (standing upper impairment) final, Liek Hou held off a late surge from arch-rival Dheva Anrimusthi of Indonesia to win 21-19, 15-21, 21-19.
He then added a second title in the men’s doubles, partnering Fareez Anuar to beat India’s Hardik Makkar and Ruthick Rahupathi 21-14, 21-18.
The two titles were Liek Hou’s ninth and tenth at the Asian Para Championships — a tournament last held in 2016, as the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Liek Hou’s next assignment will be the British and Irish Para Badminton International in Wales next month.
Meanwhile, in the men’s singles SL4 final, Malaysia’s Amin Burhanuddin delivered the nation’s third gold medal, defeating India’s Surya Kant Yadav 23-21, 21-15.
In the men’s wheelchair singles final, however, Ikhwan Ramli had to settle for silver after going down 21-9, 21-16 to China’s Qu Zi Mo. — June 22, 2025