Malaysia celebrated its first badminton gold medal at the Asian Para Games after Cheah Liek Hou and Faris Azri claimed the SU5 men’s doubles title with an impressive unbeaten campaign.
The Malaysian pair sealed the gold medal with a convincing 21-8, 21-13 victory over South Korea’s Jeon Sun Woo and Kim Ge Yeon in their final group-stage match at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.
Competing in a four-pair league format, Cheah and Faris maintained their strong form throughout the competition. They had earlier defeated Taiwan’s Fang Jen Yu and Pu Gui Yu, as well as Thailand’s Pricha Somsiri and Nattaphon Thaweesap, to complete a clean sweep and finish at the top of the standings.
The triumph also marked another milestone in Cheah’s distinguished para-badminton career. He claimed his third Asian Para Games men’s doubles gold, having previously won the title with Suhaili Laiman at the 2010 Guangzhou and 2014 Incheon editions.
Source: Stadium Astro
After a 12-year wait since his last Asian Para Games doubles title, Cheah returned to the top of the podium with a new partner, further extending his legacy in the sport.
The two-time Paralympic champion could add another medal to his collection, as he remains in contention for the men’s singles title. Cheah advanced to the semi-finals after defeating fellow Malaysian and doubles partner Faris 21-12, 21-10 in their quarter-final encounter.
He is scheduled to face China’s Li Ming Pan in the semi-finals, with a place in the final at stake.
Malaysia’s success in badminton adds to an encouraging medal campaign across other sports. Powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin won gold in the men’s under-72kg category, while Abdul Latif Romly claimed the men’s T20 long jump title. Cyclist Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi also secured gold in the C4-C5 1,000m time trial.
With Cheah already contributing a historic badminton gold and still chasing another title in the singles, Malaysia will be hoping to build on its strong performances across the Asian Para Games.