Badminton

From bronze-winning Olympian to gold-standard coach

As an athlete, Cheah Liek Hou achieved the highest accolade in para-badminton by winning gold at the Tokyo Paralympics yesterday.

But his coach, Rashid Sidek has also come full circle.

As a player, Rashid is one of the first few Malaysians to win an Olympic medal, when he took the bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Rashid then went on to establish himself as a national coach and played a key role in the career of former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, who bagged three silver medals at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

Yesterday, the youngest of the legendary Sidek brothers saw his charge, Liek Hou make history when he became the first-ever Paralympic champion in para-badminton.

Rashid said: "I am grateful and so happy for Liek Hou because finally, he has achieved his lifelong dream. It is the highest achievement.

"Over the last two years, I have seen how hard Liek Hou had worked for this Paralympic gold. As a coach, I could ask for nothing more.

"Truth be told, I had always expected Liek Hou to win the gold here in Tokyo."

Rashid, who spent the last three months with Liek Hou under the national quarantine-based training programme at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil, admitted Liek Hou made all the difference in the final.

"I am not going to brag and say I am the greatest coach. It was all Liek Hou. "However, I have passed on everything I know to him. From my experience as a player to becoming an able-bodied coach and now Liek Hou's coach.

"Liek Hou has gotten everything I know," added Rashid, who will leave it up to Liek Hou to decide what is next.

Yesterday, Liek Hou, 33, won Malaysia's second gold medal in Tokyo when he upset World No 1 Dheva Anrimusthi of Indonesia 21-17, 21-15 in the men's single SU5 (upper body impairment) final at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

Indonesia's Suryo Nugroho settled for the bronze.

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