On the fourth day of the 2021 Total Energy BWF Badminton World Championships, India's Plannoy defeated Malaysian player Liu Guolun to advance to the men's singles round of 16.
In November 2020, Indians contracted COVID-19 and although they recovered, their after-effects continued. One of the peculiarities of this infection was its effect on his lungs during competitions and training, and drug treatment had no effect, so Planoy had to look for alternative treatments, such as special breathing exercises. The main challenge he faced was finding an expert who could guide him.
Given these circumstances, Planoy has struggled to combat these after-effects. There has been an optimistic change in recent weeks, especially after he beat Arcelor to reach the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Masters.
"I had to find my own solution. I had to go to different places, take planes, meet different people, find out what works and what doesn't work, and keep spending money," Planoy said. "It's not only time-consuming, but also mentally tough. You tried everything on and off the field, but you weren't ready for the game.
"I got COVID-19 last November. I went on to see a doctor, and I went to see a specialist. He said we had ruled everything out and there were no muscle-related problems. But my lungs hurt every time [during training]. ”
"I'm trying breathing exercises because medication is not recommended. It's slightly better now. Beating Arcelorn at any given time was great because he was very stable and didn't lose a lot of games. Playing a long game is very satisfying, so you think what you're doing is effective and that gives you extra motivation. ”
"The game is going to get harder and harder. It's important to focus on recovery and the game will naturally get better. I suffered a serious back injury during the Europa League; I felt good after coming back from Indonesia. After in Indonesia, I had a lot of confidence. ”
In the second round of mixed doubles, the Chinese duo of Guo Xinwa / Zhang Shuxian faced the 12th seed Denmark's Kristiansen / Bor, the two pairs fought fiercely for 1 hour and 9 minutes, and finally Guo Xinwa / Zhang Shuxian lost 16-21, 21-17, 14-21. With Guo Xinwa/Zhang Shuxian out, the Chinese mixed doubles duo has all been out. None of the pairs reached the round of 16, the worst performance in the history of China's mixed doubles at the World Championships.