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.
“I am proud of this achievement. As everyone knows, His Majesty is very strict in giving out such awards and it’s not easy to obtain.
“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 by Bernama today.
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.
Liek Hou, at the same time, said he wishes to fully focus on his recovery process from a leg injury before returning to competitive action next year.
The 37-year-old is a two-time Paralympic gold medallist, having emerged victorious in the men’s SU5 category at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions.
He has also won the world title 14 times in two categories – men’s singles (eight times) and men’s doubles (six times).
