Malaysia’s top para-badminton player, Cheah Liek Hou, is on a dual mission as he prepares to face Indonesia’s Suryo Nugroho in the men’s singles SU5 final at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena today.
Liek Hou aims to defend the gold medal he won at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and seeks to avenge the loss of his teammate, Muhammad Fareez Anuar, who was defeated by Nugroho in the semi-finals.
Liek Hou expressed disappointment that an all-Malaysian final was not possible, attributing it to fatigue affecting Fareez, who is competing in his first Paralympics. Despite this setback, the world number one remains focused and avoids placing undue pressure on himself.
“I must be cautious as Suryo may come up with a new strategy,” Liek Hou said after his semi-final victory over Indonesia’s Dheva Anrimusthi. “Even though I won our group match against him, I expect a tougher fight in the final because he has nothing to lose.”
Liek Hou won his semi-final match 21-17, 21-17, while Suryo defeated Fareez 21-12, 14-21, 21-6.
In earlier rounds, Liek Hou secured impressive wins against his Group A opponents: he defeated Poland’s Mroz Bartlomiej 21-10, 21-6 on August 29 and France’s Meril Loquette 21-10, 21-16 on August 30.
Reflecting on his semi-final win, Liek Hou expressed gratitude for overcoming a long-time rival, attributing his success to his experience and careful match analysis. He also hopes Fareez will use this experience to strengthen his game for future competitions.
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which began on August 28, will conclude on September 8.
