Dubai: Six-time world champion Cheah Llek Hou led a serious onslaught on behalf of Malaysia in the men’s category while Turkey dominated the women’s competitions on the penultimate day of competition at the first Fazza Dubai Para-Badminton International 2018 being held at the Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club’s indoor stadium.
Cheah, who has been at the top of the world in his SU5 (Standing Upper) category since the 2007 BWF World Championships, made it to the singles and doubles finals as the competition headed towards an exciting finish on Sunday.
The 30-year-old first got the better of Singapore’s Tay Wei Ming 21-9, 21-9 and then teamed up with Hairol Fozi Saaba for a 21-16, 21-8 win against fellow countrymen Mohammad Faris Ahmad Azri and Amyrul Yazid Ahmad Sibi to make the doubles final.
The Malaysian star will meet Poland’s Bartlomiej Mroz in the singles final, and then combine with teammate Hairol in their clash against the top Indonesian pair of Suryo Nugroho and Oddie Kurnia Putra in the doubles. “The idea is definitely to take gold medals in both categories,” Cheah told Gulf News.
“I have been hitting a good level and if I play my game then there will be no stopping me from achieving this goal. Players in my category have been showing a lot of improvement and it is getting tough with each passing day. This only means that I have to continue raising my game so that I can maintain my supremacy in the category,” he added.
The men’s SS6 category will also see a Malaysian in the final after Didin Taresoh dug in deep to beat fancied Krysten Coombs in three tough games 21-23, 21-17, 21-18 and prevent an all-England final. Taresoh will now meet world champion Jack Shephard after the Englishman secured a gritty 21-17, 24-22 win against Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Yim.
Malaysia will also feature in the finals of the WH1 and WH2 (Wheelchair) categories with Chu Man Kai and Wong Chun Yim setting up a mouth-watering finale against England’s Shephard and Coombs in the SS6 men’s doubles, while Mohammad Ikhwan Ramli and Madzlan Saibon will take on the French-Hong Kong pair of David Toupe and Chan Ho Yuen in the WH2 category finals.
India also fared well on the penultimate day with Manoj Sarkar and Pramod Bhagat setting up an all-India final in the men’s singles SL3 category, while in the SL4 singles final, India’s Sukant Kadam will take on Frenchman Lucas Mazur in the fight for the title.
Shuttlers from Turkey dominated in the women’s competitions with the country featuring in all three finals. In the WH2 category, top seed Emine Seckin will meet countrywoman Narin Uluc in the final, while Zehra Baglar will play Indonesian Leani Ratri Oktila in the women’s doubles final of the SL4/SU5 category.
David Toupe was the lone man keeping the European representation as the 40-year-old Frenchman got the better of David Follett of England 21-4, 21-7 to set a final meeting against Malaysia’s Mohammad Ikhwan Ramli in the men’s singles WH1 category.
The final day of the competition on Sunday will witness finals in all 16 categories with the first match getting under way at the Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club’s indoor hall in Al Mamzar at 9am.
