Matthew Cheung

‘The Trust inspires me to believe anything is possible – as long as I believe in myself’ says Alpha badminton and Irish Senior player Matthew Cheung

Being a Mary Peters Trust athlete means a lot to 21-year-old UCD student Matthew Cheung from Lisburn. 

The Trust has supported the Alpha Badminton player since 2019 with several funding awards which have helped him travel to tournaments in many countries of the world improving his game and increasing his rankings. 

But it’s more than the financial support that Matthew appreciates. 

“I remember Lady Mary coming to watch the U17s Nationals in Lisburn and it was both brilliant and comforting to know that she wanted to see how her Trust athletes were performing. It felt like she was looking out for us and it made me feel more confident. The Mary Peters Trust really has our backs.

“Mary reached the highest level in her sport which is pretty amazing for a country as small as Northern Ireland. She inspires me to believe that anything is possible as long as I believe in it.”

The former RBAI pupil is currently in his 3rd year studying a General Science degree at University College Dublin. His big academic focus this year is on Applied and Computational Mathematics. He successfully won an Ad Astra Scholarship to UCD which provides both financial and mentoring support for his sport. Studying in Dublin has enabled Matthew to be a key part of the Irish National set-up and since moving to city he has been coached by Malaysian former international Yeoh Seng Zoe, the current Team Ireland coach. 

“Malaysia is in the top five of best countries in the world for badminton with China at the top and other high performing countries being Indonesia, Japan, Denmark and France. 

“As an ex-international Yeoh Seng Zoe is hugely experienced and knows what it takes to become a champion and compete at the Olympic Games.”

Matthew’s dream goal is to qualify for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games as he pragmatically knows that aiming for LA 2028 is just too early for him as he is set to graduate from UCD in 2027. “I would love to give 2032 qualification a real go.” 

With no badminton included in this summer’s 2026 Commonwealths in Glasgow, Matthew’s hope is that it will feature in the 2030 Commonwealth Games which may potentially be hosted by India.

“As India is an excellent badminton nation the sport would surely be included in the 2030 event which would be brilliant preparation for potential 2032 Olympic qualification.

“Two Irish competitors reached the 2024 Olympics in Paris – Nhat Nguyen and Rachael Darragh – and I would hope to tap into their Olympian experiences to help me reach that goal.”

On the bigger global stage it’s multi-Olympic medallists Lin Dan of China and Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia that Matthew admires and looks up to. 

“They are huge rivals as they represent the top two countries in the world. Lin Dan has won two Olympic Golds and Lee Chong Wei three silvers. I really like the way they play badminton, the huge effort they put into the sport and how they handle media interviews. I take things from watching them and introduce them into my game.”

 Whilst his current club is UCD, it was at highly successful Lisburn based Alpha Badminton Club where he got his first taste of the racquets sport aged only six.

“My dad joined the Chinese Badminton Club at Alpha and I went along with him and ended up playing a few games and discovering I was good at it. 

“At seven I started formal coaching with Andy Stewart who looked after me until I was 18 and headed to Dublin.”

Matthew began playing provincial tournaments for the U11s when he was really young and quickly moved up to U13s and at that stage began to take winning very seriously. 

“After a bit of a break my dad is back playing badminton and my younger sister Ella who is in Lower 6th has moved from gymnastics to badminton – so it’s a real family affair.

“My parents have given me a lot of support – both financial and just being around to help when life gets busy and stressed. I can talk to them and they can help me manage my time better as well as take some things off my plate so I can better focus on sport and studies.”

Of his key achievements to date Matthew has many he is proud of. Whilst at school (RBAI) and as part of the team he clinched the All-Ireland Seniors twice and the Juniors once, “We had a really super team and our school RBAI was extremely proud of us.”

In 2023 Matthew won the Irish U19 Open – which anyone in the world can enter – and he was the first Irish singles player to take the accolade since Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in 2017, “It’s a proud moment and one I look back on with pride,” says Matthew.

He gained his first Irish Senior cap playing for Team Ireland in December 2024.  

“We played in a European Mixed Team qualifier against top countries Germany, Norway and Denmark punching above our weight coming third in the group.”

Also in 2024, he got the opportunity to go to the Malaysian National Badminton Centre to watch, play and learn.

Then in February 2025 Matthew was runner-up in the Irish Senior Nationals which took place in Dublin. 

“When I travel to competitions within the global arena or attend badminton camps, I look at other players and see how they manage their bodies in training and how they warm-up. I note how they are committed to sport and learn from them. 

“In 2025 alone I’ve competed in Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Portugal and have met so many players from all over the world. Though when I come back home, I love heading down to Lisburn Racquets Centre and playing my club colleagues. It’s where it all started.” 

Matthew is enjoying a strong start to 2026 having already clinched the Men’s Singles title in this year’s Irish Senior Nationals and is aiming for even more accolades during the rest of the year.