Soon Huat once experienced blood clot in the head, needed 2 surgeries

Goh Soon Huat recently opened up about a medical condition he once had, which ended up with him collapsing during a match when he was still playing in the men’s singles, only to discover he had a blood clot in the head.

“I used to have headaches while playing and it really affected me. Once I even passed out during a match. I went to get it checked and I was found to have a blood clot in my head.

“I underwent a minor surgery and thankfully I recovered. Six months later I was back playing. I trained consistently for a year and a half and was improving. But unfortunately, the blood clot resurfaced after that and required a second surgery,” said Goh.

The 34-year-old is understood to have fainted during the 2003 Indonesian Open Grand Prix.

Goh clarified he wasn’t sure how he ended up with the diagnosis, but it could have been due to a fall he had as a kid.

“I honestly don’t remember it clearly. Maybe it was something I didn’t notice at the time. What I do know is that I’ve gone through this twice now. The doctor told me there’s no guarantee it won’t come back. Maybe five years, maybe sooner.

“Which is why I go for check-ups every year. At least I’ll know if there’s something wrong,” he said.

Goh looks to have put that episode long behind him and is flourishing with his wife Shevon Lai in the mixed doubles, where the pair are ranked top five in the world.