"Heartbreaking": Teen dies after collapsing on badminton court
<p>Rising badminton star Zhang Zhijie has died after he collapsed in the middle of a match at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on Monday.</p>
<p>In an interview with the BBC, Indonesia’s badminton association PBSI said that the 17-year-old athlete suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. </p>
<p>The Chinese athlete was facing Japan’s Kazuma Kawano when he fell to the floor and appeared to convulse. </p>
<p>He was stretchered off the floor and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead after they failed to resuscitate him. </p>
<p>Viral footage of the tragic incident has sparked fury on Chinese social media platform Weibo, after it showed that it took first medical responders more than 35 seconds to finally arrive and check his condition. </p>
<p>According to a PBSI spokesman, medical teams were only following the rule where they needed to get the referee's permission before entering the court. </p>
<p>“That is in accordance with the regulations and standards of procedure that applies to every international badminton tournament,” the spokesman said.</p>
<p>The Badminton World Federation said it will investigate if the correct protocols were taken during the tragic incident.</p>
<p>“Zhang’s death at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia is a tragic occurrence, and we are taking all necessary steps to thoroughly review this matter in consultation with Badminton Asia and Badminton Association of Indonesia,” they told <em>TMZ</em>. </p>
<p>It is also reported that the medical responders did not have an AED machine to react to the cardiac arrest. </p>
<p>Zhijie's death has been a trending topic on Weibo for days, with many outraged over the medical response. </p>
<p>One person wrote: “Which is more important - the rules or someone’s life?” </p>
<p>Another added: “Did they miss the ‘golden period’ to rescue him?”</p>
<p>The badminton community have since paid tribute to the athlete, and they observed a moment of silence in memory of him at the championship on Tuesday. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">One minute of silence as we pay our respects to the late Zhang Zhi Jie.</p>
<p>Rest in peace. <a href="https://t.co/DhP4actMDJ">pic.twitter.com/DhP4actMDJ</a></p>
<p>— BAM (@BA_Malaysia) <a href="https://twitter.com/BA_Malaysia/status/1807601602460819621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p>The Badminton Association of Malaysia also held a moment of silence at tournament on Sunday, as seen in a video posted on X.</p>
<p>“One minute of silence as we pay our respects to the late Zhang Zhijie. Rest in peace," they wrote. </p>
<p>China’s badminton association also said that they were “deeply saddened” by the loss. </p>
<p>“Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an outstanding athlete of the national youth badminton team,” they said in a statement. </p>
<p>His parents have since travelled to Yogyakarta to retrieve his body. </p>
<p><em>Images: Twitter/ Wide Awake Media</em></p>
