KUALA LUMPUR: Cheah Liek Hou showed his fighting spirit at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, battling a hamstring injury sustained just a week before departure to secure a gold and bronze medal for Malaysia.
The two-time Paralympic champion settled for bronze in the men's singles SU5 event on Thursday after retiring midway through his semi-final against China's Li Ming Pan.
Liek Hou, 38, won the second game to level the tie but had to retire with a hamstring injury after trailing 11-7 in the decider at the Ichinomiya Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi.
The final score was 21-13, 11-21, 11-7.
His coach, Nova Armada, revealed that Liek Hou had suffered the hamstring injury just a week before leaving for Japan.
"He suffered a hamstring injury a week before we left for the Asian Para Games," said Nova when contacted.
"We didn't want the tear to extend to his tendon."
The injury meant Liek Hou had to manage his physical condition throughout the competition, with the risk of aggravating it remaining a concern.
Despite the setback, the Malaysian veteran pressed on and added two more medals to his collection.
He won his singles bronze after partnering Faris Ahmad Azri to capture the men's doubles SU5 gold medal on Wednesday.
The Malaysian pair defeated South Korea's Jeon Sunwoo-Kim Gi Yeon 21-8, 21-13 to end the country's 12-year wait for the title.
Liek Hou had previously won the singles gold at the 2010 Guangzhou and 2014 Incheon Games, making him one of Malaysia's most successful para badminton players.
Although his hopes of reclaiming the singles crown ended prematurely, Liek Hou will return home with another impressive medal haul, underlining his determination to deliver for Malaysia despite the injury setback.
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