“To arrange the tournament itinerary by myself, it was some good experience after all,” Lam said. “I hadn’t played for four years so I was worried about the high intensity. The target was to finish the tournament safely, so it was mission accomplished.”

Her claims drew split responses, though. There were supportive messages on social media, but a source close to the matter – who asked to remain anonymous – also said the Hongkonger “hid a lot” in her original Instagram post.

In the knockout stages in Bahrain, Lam then faced Mikaela da Costa Almeida of Brazil, who was ranked three places above her, and eventually lost in three sets.

The 28-year-old admitted it was not her best performance.

“I did all right in the group stage but I gave myself too much pressure at the last 16,” she said. “It was a pity, because I am a better player [than Mikaela] but I was not able to adapt to the wind resistance at the arena among other things, and did not play to my standard.

“I tried my best but my mental toughness was not good enough, and I worried too much about my knee injury.”

While Lam feels she is now a better player, she admits she has returned to a “different” tour after spending four years on the sidelines.

“I need some massive improvements,” she said. “Four years on, the average standard is much higher.

“I know my shortcomings, because I am afraid of injury, so I cannot move freely. I need to strengthen my muscles, and be more confident.”

Lam, who was training in Sydney before the tournament in Manama, also paid tribute to her new team, praising their “more dimensional” training.

“I got to know myself better as a player,” she said. “There was also improvement in the adjustment of training volume.

“Many things can be arranged by myself and discussed with the coach. I am very grateful to NBC Badminton for their support.

“The standard of the coaching team is very high and has helped me a lot. They also provided great assistance for the Bahrain trip, so I am very grateful.”