Tokyo, Japan, September 4, 2021: Cheah Liek Hou of Malaysia has the distinction of being the first-ever Paralympic Games badminton champion after beating Indonesia’s Dheva Anrimusthi in the men’s singles SU5 final on Saturday.
Having outplayed his rival 21-17, 21-15, Cheah fell to the floor in a flood of emotions. He then made special mention of retired compatriot Lee Chong Wei, whose advice, he said, had helped him handle the pressure. Lee, a three-time Olympic Games silver medallist, had advised him to “release whatever he could”.
The first Para badminton champion said: “I feel great – and I have released all my stress and nerves and tension. I released everything just now. I really tried my best. I think I was very focused during the match. I deserved to win it.
“I had messaged Lee Chong Wei on how to overcome the nerves and the pressure on court. He shared a lot of advice. I want to thank him. This gold medal is for all the Malaysian badminton lovers.
“Lee told me that there would be a lot of pressure on me because they are all depending on me. They want me to get a good result. He told me to enjoy myself and release whatever I can in the Paralympic Village.”
Retired badminton great Lee said in an Instagram post following Cheah’s win: “I was nervous watching this national hero in action. I shed tears when Cheah and his coach Rashid embraced after the winning point."
Earlier, the first Para badminton medal of the Paralympics – the bronze in men’s singles SU5 – was won by Indonesia’s Suryo Nugroho, who beat Chinese Taipei’s Fang Jen Yu 21-16, 21-9.
Japan’s Satomi Sarina became the first women’s Para badminton gold medallist in Paralympic Games history defeating Thailand’s Sujirat Pookkham.
“One of the things I wanted to focus on the most was to make the people of Japan feel that Para badminton is a fun, interesting sport, and I think I did that,” she said.
