KUALA LUMPUR – In sports, respecting one’s opponent should not be mistaken for sympathy.
This is the view of Malaysian para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou, who made history last night at the Paris Paralympics by successfully defending his men’s singles SU5 (standing upper impairment) gold medal with a sensational 21-13, 21-15 win over Indonesia’s Suryo Nugroho.
Despite winning the first game comfortably at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, the second game was closely contested until Suryo sustained a knee injury while trailing Liek Hou 13-15.
After a short timeout, the visibly struggling Indonesian managed to score only two more points before Liek Hou secured the match.
Speaking to Scoop, 36-year-old Liek Hou explained that he did not slow down or go easy on the injured Suryo, not because of a lack of respect, but quite the opposite.
“I know Suryo was injured towards the end of the second game, but I did not slow down and went all out on the offence.
“That does not mean I underestimated or disrespected my opponent,” said Liek Hou, who already made history three years ago in Tokyo by becoming the first para shuttler to win gold at the Paralympics.
It was reported that the eight-time world champion in the men’s singles SU5 category has no intention of slowing down despite his age.
For now, Liek Hou has set his sights on winning gold at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after settling for silver at the previous Hangzhou edition. – September 3, 2024