Kuala Lumpur: National para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou is thankful for the Bintang Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) he was awarded in conjunction with the official birthday celebration of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, at Istana Negara yesterday. Liek Hou described the award from Sultan Ibrahim as an extraordinary recognition of his badminton career.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Liek Hou expressed pride in his achievement and acknowledged the stringent criteria set by His Majesty for such awards. He remarked that obtaining this recognition is not an easy feat. “To me, it’s like I have reached a different level because I have brought glory to the country on the international stage,” he said when contacted.

Liek Hou was among 14 individuals who received the KMN award at the presentation of the 2025 federal awards, medals, and honours in conjunction with His Majesty’s official birthday. At the same time, Liek Hou mentioned his intention to focus on recovering from a leg injury before returning to competitive badminton next year.

The 37-year-old athlete is a two-time Paralympic gold medallist, having emerged victorious in the men’s SU5 category at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions. In addition to his Paralympic success, he has claimed the world title 14 times across two categories – eight times in men’s singles and six times in men’s doubles.