Liek Hou sends Asian Para Games warning with Tokyo double

KUALA LUMPUR: Cheah Liek Hou claimed both the singles and doubles titles at the Japan Para International tournament in Tokyo, boosting his chances ahead of the upcoming Asian Para Games in Nagoya. The two-time Paralympic champion defeated Taiyo Imai 21-13, 21-11 in the singles final, extending his unbeaten record against Imai to 20-0.

In the doubles final, Liek Hou teamed up with Faris Asri to defeat Chirag Baretha-Tay Wei Ming 21-15, 21-15, securing the SU5 doubles crown. The Tokyo event was Liek Hou's first following a four-month layoff due to illness and minor injuries. He stated that the tournament helped him adapt to the weather conditions in Japan, which have been rainy, unlike the flooding in Nagoya.

Liek Hou expressed his excitement about returning to competition and reiterated his focus on winning the singles title in Nagoya, with a bonus of securing doubles gold for the team. He will be competing against Imai or Fang Jen Yu in the singles and India's Hardik Makkar-Ruthick Ragupathi in the doubles, while Dheva Anrimusthi, the defending champion, has been ruled ineligible due to updated classification rules by the International Paralympic Committee.