PARIS: National para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou has no plans to retire just yet and is determined to continue fighting for the country.
Liek Hou said that defending his gold medal in the men's singles SU5 (physical impairment) event was not the end of his career, as he remained hungry for more success to bring glory to Malaysia on the international stage.
Although he cannot predict his chances of competing in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, the 36-year-old player said he aimed to focus first on competing in the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
"There are still four years before Los Angeles 2028, and I don't know what will happen to me by then. What's important is that I focus year by year, maybe on the 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan first.
"The gold medal win here shows that my condition is still strong, so I want to set more records and create history in para badminton as long as I can," he told Bernama here today.
The final at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena saw Liek Hou, who entered as the top seed, living up to expectations by defeating Indonesia's Suryo Nugroho 21-13, 21-15 in 42 minutes.
Commenting on the match, he said that Suryo was occasionally caught off guard by the strong winds inside the venue, and he took advantage of that, especially by switching to an aggressive play style at the end of the second set to ensure the gold medal stayed in his grasp.
When asked about the embrace he shared with Nova Armada immediately after the match, Liek Hou said the Indonesian coach had been by his side through thick and thin.
"Coach Nova understands my character; he knows how much I've struggled from the beginning until now. I didn't want to disappoint him, so I dedicate this victory to him as well," he said.
The world number one, who was overjoyed with today's achievement, said he planned to take a break after making significant sacrifices - particularly leaving behind his beloved wife, Dewi Febriana, 31 - in pursuit of his dream to retain the gold in Paris 2024.
Liek Hou said he would take his wife back to her hometown in Medan, Indonesia, and travel abroad to celebrate the Paris 2024 success, in appreciation for the unwavering support she had given him all this while.
At the same time, he also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, including Minister Hannah Yeoh, the National Sports Council, the National Sports Institute, as well as the Badminton Association of Malaysia for their support. – BERNAMA