Cheah Liek Hou
Malaysian para-badminton player (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheah Liek Hou (Chinese: 谢儮好[1]; pinyin: Xiè Lìhǎo; born 8 March 1988) is a Malaysian para-badminton player.[2] He is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist and a 16-time World champion at both SU5 singles and doubles events.[3] He won the gold medal in the men's singles SU5 event at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Paralympics, making him the first Malaysian athlete to win a medal in para-badminton. He is the first-ever Paralympic champion in para-badminton.
Cheah at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 8 March 1988 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2005–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Rashid Sidek Nova Armada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles and doubles SU5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career title | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 1 (MS 1 January 2019) 1 (MD with Hairol Fozi Saaba 1 January 2019) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | 1 (MS) 4 (MD with Mohamad Faris Ahmad Azri) (1 November 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Cheah was born with Erb's palsy, which causes his right hand to have less strength and stability. He took up badminton when he was nine. He later competed against able-bodied badminton players and joined the able-bodied squad when he was 12 years old.[4] He completed his pre-university education in Bukit Jalil Sports School.[5] He competed in both able-bodied and para-badminton tournaments before exclusively competing in the latter upon obtaining his degree.[6]
Personal life
Cheah is married to Dewi Febriana Tan.[7] He has a degree in corporate communications awarded by Universiti Putra Malaysia.[6]
Achievements
Paralympic Games
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | 21–17, 21–15 | ||
| 2024 | Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France | 21–13, 21–15 |
World Championships
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Hsinchu Municipal Gymnasium, Hsinchu, Taiwan | 2–0 | ||
| 2007 | Gymnasium 1, Bangkok, Thailand | 21–11, 21–13 | ||
| 2011 | Coliseo Deportivo, Guatemala City, Guatemala | 21–11, 21–19 | ||
| 2013 | Helmut-Körnig-Halle, Dortmund, Germany | 21–18, 21–13 | ||
| 2015 | Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Stoke Mandeville, England | 21–16, 21–12 | ||
| 2017 | Dongchun Gymnasium, Ulsan, South Korea | 19–21, 21–15, 21–18 | ||
| 2019 | St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland | 13–21, 8–21 | ||
| 2022 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | 21–14, 21–12 | ||
| 2024 | Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand | 21–15, 16–21, 21–15 | ||
| 2026 | Isa Sports City, Manama, Bahrain | 21–6, 21–11 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Hsinchu Municipal Gymnasium, Hsinchu, Taiwan |
2–0 | |||
| 2007 | Gymnasium 1, Bangkok, Thailand |
21–4, 21–10 | |||
| 2011 | Coliseo Deportivo, Guatemala City, Guatemala |
21–14, 20–22, 21–12 | |||
| 2013 | Helmut-Körnig-Halle, Dortmund, Germany |
21–18, 21–17 | |||
| 2015 | Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Stoke Mandeville, England |
18–21, 21–13, 21–16 | |||
| 2017 | Dongchun Gymnasium, Ulsan, South Korea |
21–18, 21–23, 18–21 | |||
| 2019 | St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland |
13–21, 9–21 | |||
| 2022 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan |
13–21, 12–21 | |||
| 2024 | Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand |
21–17, 21–18 | |||
| 2026 | Isa Sports City, Manama, Bahrain | 21–11, 21–11 |
Asian Para Games
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tianhe Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | 21–8, 21–10 | ||
| 2014 | Gyeyang Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | 21–8, 21–11 | ||
| 2018 | Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia | 21–18, 14–21, 16–21 | ||
| 2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China | 21–18, 19–21, 17–21 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tianhe Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | 21–8, 21–7 | |||
| 2014 | Gyeyang Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | 11–21, 21–11, 21–13 | |||
| 2018 | Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia | 21–16, 18–21, 17–21 | |||
| 2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China | 21–19, 15–21, 12–21 |
Asian Championships
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Stadium Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 15–2, 15–6 | ||
| 2008 | Raheja Stadium, Bangalore, India | |||
| 2012 | Yeoju Sports Center, Yeoju, South Korea | 21–18, 21–8 | ||
| 2016 | China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China | 13–21, 16–21 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Stadium Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
15–7, 15–6 | |||
| 2008 | Raheja Stadium, Bangalore, India |
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| 2012 | Yeoju Sports Center, Yeoju, South Korea |
21–18, 21–13 | |||
| 2016 | China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China |
21–9, 21–15 |
ASEAN Para Games
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hanoi Sports Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam | |||
| 2005 | PSC Badminton Hall, Manila, Philippines | |||
| 2008 | Vongchavalitkul University Gymnasium, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand | 2–0 | ||
| 2009 | Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |||
| 2011 | Sritex Sports Arena, Surakarta, Indonesia | 22–20, 21–18 | ||
| 2015 | OCBC Arena, Singapore | 17–21, 19–21 | ||
| 2017 | Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 21–11, 21–15 | ||
| 2022 | Edutorium Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, Surakarta, Indonesia | 21–18, 21–14 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hanoi Sports Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam |
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| 2005 | PSC Badminton Hall, Manila, Philippines |
||||
| 2008[a] | Vongchavalitkul University Gymnasium, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
21–15, 23–21 | |||
| 21–7, 21–13 | |||||
| 21–11, 21–14 | |||||
| 21–15, 21–11 | |||||
| 2009 | Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
||||
| 2011 | Sritex Sports Arena, Surakarta, Indonesia |
21–13, 23–21 | |||
| 2015 | OCBC Arena, Singapore |
21–13, 21–6 | |||
| 2017 | Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
21–16, 19–21, 19–21 | |||
| 2022 | Edutorium Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, Surakarta, Indonesia |
19–21, 21–15, 19–21 |
Mixed doubles SL3–SU5
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008[a] | Vongchavalitkul University Gymnasium, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
21–7, 25–23 | |||
| 21–14, 21–10 | |||||
| 21–10, 21–11 | |||||
| 2009 | Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
||||
| 2011[a] | Sritex Sports Arena, Surakarta, Indonesia |
21–13, 21–17 | |||
| 21–16, 23–21 | |||||
| 22–20, 21–12 | |||||
| 21–7, 21–13 |
BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (27 titles, 2 runners-up)
The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022.[8]
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Brazil Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–17, 21–17 | ||
| 2022 | Bahrain Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–7, 21–12 | ||
| 2022 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–11, 21–19 | ||
| 2022 | 4 Nations Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–17, 21–16 | ||
| 2022 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 22–20, 21–15 | ||
| 2023 | Spanish Para-Badminton International II | Level 2 | 11–21, 21–17, 17–21 | ||
| 2023 | Spanish Para-Badminton International I | Level 1 | 21–7, 21–13 | ||
| 2023 | Brazil Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–19, 21–19 | ||
| 2023 | Bahrain Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–13, 21–10 | ||
| 2023 | Canada Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–14, 21–13 | ||
| 2023 | 4 Nations Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–18, 21–10 | ||
| 2023 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 19–21, 19–21 | ||
| 2024 | Spanish Para-Badminton International II | Level 2 | 21–13, 21–8 | ||
| 2024 | Spanish Para-Badminton International I | Level 1 | 21–19, 21–17 | ||
| 2024 | 4 Nations Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–12, 21–19 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bahrain Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–14, 19–21, 21–7 | |||
| 2022 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 17–21, 21–15, 21–9 | |||
| 2022[a] | 4 Nations Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–9, 21–10 | |||
| 21–6, 21–16 | ||||||
| 21–19, 21–17 | ||||||
| 2022[a] | Thailand Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–15, 21–18 | |||
| 21–12, 21–16 | ||||||
| 21–15, 21–13 | ||||||
| 21–11, 22–20 | ||||||
| 2023 | Spanish Para-Badminton International II | Level 2 | 22–20, 21–23, 21–15 | |||
| 2023 | Brazil Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–13, 21–18 | |||
| 2023 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–15, 22–24, 21–14 | |||
| 2023 | Bahrain Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–18, 19–21, 21–14 | |||
| 2023[a] | 4 Nations Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 15–21, 21–11, 21–16 | |||
| 21–14, 21–11 | ||||||
| 17–21, 21–10, 21–15 | ||||||
| 2023[a] | Western Australia Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–12, 21–10 | |||
| 21–9, 21–13 | ||||||
| 21–17, 19–21, 21–16 | ||||||
| 2023[a] | Japan Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | 21–8, 19–21, 21–17 | |||
| 21–15, 21–9 | ||||||
| 21–14, 21–15 | ||||||
| 21–15, 21–17 | ||||||
| 2023 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | Level 1 | 21–1, 21–10 | |||
| 2024 | Spanish Para-Badminton International II | Level 2 | 21–16, 21–19 | |||
| 2024 | Spanish Para-Badminton International I | Level 1 | 21–16, 22–20 |
International tournaments (from 2011–2021) (35 titles, 6 runners-up)
Men's singles SU5
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Indonesia Para-Badminton International | 21–13, 21–19 | ||
| 2014 | England Para Badminton Championships | 21–11, 21–9 | ||
| 2015 | Spanish Para-Badminton International | 21–17, 21–6 | ||
| 2015 | China Para-Badminton International | 21–15, 21–19 | ||
| 2015 | Indonesia Para-Badminton International | 14–21, 19–21 | ||
| 2016 | Irish Para-Badminton International | 24–26, 21–9, 21–14 | ||
| 2017 | Spanish Para-Badminton International | 21–18, 21–14 | ||
| 2017 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | 21–13, 21–16 | ||
| 2017 | Japan Para-Badminton International | 21–10, 21–8 | ||
| 2017 | USA Para-Badminton International | 21–2, 21–12 | ||
| 2018 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | 21–14, 21–9 | ||
| 2018 | Uganda Para-Badminton International | 21–11, 21–5 | ||
| 2018 | Turkish Para-Badminton International | 21–10, 21–14 | ||
| 2018 | Irish Para-Badminton International | 21–9, 21–19 | ||
| 2019 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | 19–21, 21–18, 16–21 | ||
| 2019 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | 21–14, 21–17 | ||
| 2019 | China Para-Badminton International | 21–23, 21–11, 19–21 | ||
| 2019 | Denmark Para-Badminton International | 21–18, 21–9 | ||
| 2019 | Japan Para-Badminton International | 21–16, 21–17 | ||
| 2020 | Brazil Para-Badminton International | 21–15, 10–21, 21–16 | ||
| 2020 | Peru Para-Badminton International | 21–17, 18–21, 21–16 | ||
| 2021 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | 14–21, 22–20, 21–18 | ||
| 2021 | Spanish Para-Badminton International | 21–13, 21–11 |
Men's doubles SU5
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Indonesia Para-Badminton International | 21–23, 21–16, 21–11 | |||
| 2014 | England Para Badminton Championships | 21–13, 21–18 | |||
| 2015 | Spanish Para-Badminton International | 21–8, 21–14 | |||
| 2015 | China Para-Badminton International | 21–11, 14–21, 21–15 | |||
| 2015 | Indonesia Para-Badminton International | 21–11, 21–11 | |||
| 2016 | Irish Para-Badminton International | 21–16, 19–21, 21–11 | |||
| 2017 | Spanish Para-Badminton International | 21–14, 22–20 | |||
| 2017 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | 21–18, 21–14 | |||
| 2017 | Japan Para-Badminton International | 21–16, 13–21, 21–10 | |||
| 2017 | USA Para-Badminton International | 21–14, 23–21 | |||
| 2018 | Dubai Para-Badminton International | 21–15, 21–17 | |||
| 2018 | Uganda Para-Badminton International | 21–12, 21–17 | |||
| 2018 | Turkish Para-Badminton International | 21–10, 21–19 | |||
| 2018 | Irish Para-Badminton International | 16–21, 21–17, 13–21 | |||
| 2018 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | 19–21, 11–21 | |||
| 2019 | Irish Para-Badminton International | 19–21, 19–21 | |||
| 2019 | Thailand Para-Badminton International | 21–14, 21–14 | |||
| 2019 | China Para-Badminton International | 21–12, 21–15 |
- This tournament uses a round robin system.
Honours
- Malaysia
- Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN) (2025)[9]
In popular culture
Cheah's story of winning the gold medal in the 2020 Summer Paralympics was immortalised in the 2024 Malaysian film directed by Adrian Teh, Gold, starring Jack Tan as his titular role.[10]