Malaysian mixed doubles ace Goh Soon Huat admitted life in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic has been one of his biggest hurdles so far as a badminton player.

All national shuttlers have been confined to quarantine at the Academy Badminton Malaysia since returning to training last month.

Besides the frustration of not being able to compete for months and missing out on potential honours and prize money, the players’ daily lives have revolved almost completely inside the academy vicinity.

"It’s quite hard to get used to it. We are here everyday, and it is training and afterwards returning to our rooms. Mentally it affects us quite a bit, and so training our mindset to stay focused has been our priority.

"We have come out with activities to do together to release stress. We also make it a point to have meals together. Being there for each other is extremely crucial, and it helps a lot too," Goh told Stadium Astro.

The former singles shuttler’s frustration was compounded when he suffered a rib injury during a recent Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) internal meet.

He had to withdraw from the event after exerting himself while attempting an overhead smash.

Goh, now recovering from the injury, said that move was something he had been practicing in training.

“It’s a footwork training where I use one step to execute the move instead of two steps. It helps to conserve energy during matches, but I guess my muscle has not adapted just yet.”

With him and partner Shevon Lai not being involved in any Thomas and Uber Cup preparations, the world number 12 pair have been training for the Denmark Open (October 13-18) and French Open (October 20-25), should both take place.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) reportedly sent out a memo to its member associations stating that shuttlers would not be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Aarhus, Denmark, for the Thomas and Uber Cup.

If the team affair goes ahead, there is a possibility both the Denmark and French Open could happen too.

Goh-Lai’s best result this year came at the Thailand Masters, where they were a whisker away from the final before losing to English pair Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith in the last four.