On paper, the reigning men’s singles Paralympic Games champion in the SU5 category (physical impairment) is well on course to capture his seventh crown.

The world No 1 shuttler’s impressive record of clinching 13 titles on the trot enroute to Japan definitely positions him as the hot favourite and a player to beat in the tournament.

However, Liek Hou insists that he will not take the challenge in Japan lightly.

While the SU5 men’s singles category has always provided the bragging rights between Liek Hou and Indonesian Dheva Anrimusthi, the Kuala Lumpur-born shuttler said in fact, there are three other players who are capable of posing a threat in the World Championships.

Apart from world No 7 Dheva, the 34-year-old also picked Fang Jen-Yu of Taiwan, currently ranked second, followed by Taiyo Imai of Japan and Indonesian shuttler, Suryo Nugroho.

“I believe all these players have improved a lot in my category (SU5),” he told Bernama.

Asked on his preparations to reclaim the title from Dheva, Liek Hou, who departed for Japan today, said he still needs to fine-tune his strength and smash in the tournament.

Liek Hou, who is now under the tutelage of Indonesian coach Nova Armada, also hopes to acclimatise himself to the cold weather in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ during the competition.

The six-day tournament will be held from Tuesday (Nov 1) until Nov 6.