Chery Malaysia joins airport welcome for AYPG team after record medal haul

KUALA LUMPUR: Chery Malaysia was among the groups on hand to welcome home Malaysia’s athletes after the recently completed Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the national contingent returned with a record 39 medals.

Malaysia finished the meet with 14 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze across eight sports, archery, athletics, badminton, boccia, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo. It is a major jump from the previous edition in Bahrain, where Malaysia collected 13 medals.

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At the airport homecoming, family members were gathered at the arrival gates, while representatives from the National Sports Council and Chery Malaysia welcomed the athletes with flower bouquets. Chery Malaysia also provided transportation for the delegation as they made their way home from the airport.

The company said it had supported the team even before departure, ferrying all 29 athletes and their coaches to Kuala Lumpur International Airport in a convoy of Chery SUVs.

“Malaysia’s historic medal haul sets a new benchmark for para sports in this region, and Chery Malaysia is very proud of the achievement of these athletes,” said Men Lin Bo, Executive Vice President of Chery Malaysia.

Standout performances from the Malaysian camp

Among the biggest stories from Dubai was swimmer Elysha Cheong Hui Yin, who came home with four gold medals, in the 400m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly and 100m Breaststroke, plus a bronze in the 200m Individual Medley.

“It was my first time competing overseas, and I’m very happy with my performance. Traveling to Dubai was such an exciting experience—even though the weather was so cold that I sometimes shivered while waiting for my events to start!” said the 13-year-old from Kuala Lumpur.

Badminton also delivered a gold, with first-time men’s doubles (SH6) partners Cheah You Zhou and Ahmed Shahputra Abdul Rahim describing the tournament as a reality check on international standards.

“Our final match was not easy, but we pulled through together and supported each other. We are very happy to have made it this far and to bring the gold medal home,” said Ahmed.

In powerlifting, Johannes Gabriel Chew took silver in the Next-Gen Men’s up to 65kg category after what was described as a tough route to the final, adding another podium finish to Malaysia’s overall tally.

This year’s AYPG carried the theme ‘Born to Rise’, and is positioned as a platform for young para-athletes with disabilities to compete and be seen at the international level.

Chery Malaysia framed its airport send-off and homecoming support as part of a broader effort around youth development and inclusivity in sport. Separately, Chery International pointed to earlier initiatives tied to the wider Asian Paralympic movement, including a partnership with the Kazakhstan Paralympic Committee to run a children’s sports festival, as well as support for the hosting of the Asian Paralympic Committee Congress this year.

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