Liek Hou Cheah

Started: He began playing badminton at age nine. (parasapo.tokyo, 18 Dec 2018) Reason: Badminton was his childhood sport and his mother encouraged him to pursue it. "I played a lot of badminton in the yard and on the streets. My mother must have felt something, watching me get so into badminton. One day, she told me, 'You should be a professional badminton player'." (parasapo.tokyo, 18 Dec 2018) Ambition: To compete at the Paralympic Games in 2024 and 2028. "In 2028 I will be 40, which should be the limit." (sinchew.com.my, 30 Aug 2023) Milestones: He became the first male badminton player to win individual gold in the SU5 category at the Paralympic Games by claiming victory at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Badminton was part of the Paralympic Games programme for the first time at Tokyo 2020. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 Aug 2023; paralympic.org, 04 Sep 2021) Awards: He was named Para Athlete of the Year in 2023 and 2024 at the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia Awards. (Facebook profile, 07 Jun 2024; nst.com.my, 29 Aug 2023) He received the Paralympic Sports Icon Award at the 2023 Harian Metro Sports Icon Awards in Malaysia. (nst.com.my, 08 Jan 2023) He was named Paralympic Sportsman of the Year at the 2022 National Sports Awards in Malaysia. (nst.com.my, 17 Jul 2023; malaymail.com, 17 Jul 2023) Additional Info: CAREER CHOICE He quit a corporate job after learning that badminton would feature at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He went on to win gold in the SU5 singles at the Games. "It was a very big gamble for myself and my family. I worked as a regional strategic account manager with a high-paying salary at a sports firm. I thought that it would be my lifelong career. I waited for this for so long since I joined [competitive badminton] at the age of 15. When I joined, they told me we would have Para badminton at the [Paralympics], but I waited, waited and waited for 18 years. I don't know what I would do next if I had lost in Tokyo. Again, it was a very big gamble." (Paralympics Instagram profile, 14 Mar 2024; channelnewsasia.com, 12 Sep 2021; weirdkaya.com, 27 Aug 2021) FUTURE PLANS He hopes to contribute to the future of Malaysian Para badminton by mentoring players such as his men's doubles partner Muhammad Fareez Anuar. "Now that I have Fareez, I hope to train him to be my successor. He joined the national team very late. He doesn't have enough experience. I want to slowly hone him and share my experience. I plan to play with him for another one or two years [speaking in 2024]. I also hope to be able to serve as a member of national team management. I think it's more important than being a coach." (sinchew.com.my, 20 Feb 2024)