Zhang Zhijie, a 17-year-old Chinese badminton player, died after collapsing on court during the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. BrandOn June 30, the shuttler’s condition deteriorated while playing the first game against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano. He fainted when the score was 11-11. He was immediately given treatment, but he was declared dead in the hospital.
“Chinese singles player Zhang Zhijie collapsed on court during a match in the evening. He was sent to hospital where he passed away yesterday at 23:20 local time. He was treated by the tournament doctor and medical team. He was taken to a standby ambulance in less than two minutes and sent to hospital,” Badminton Asia and the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) said in a joint statement on Monday.
“The world of badminton has lost a talented player,” the statement said.
Videos of the incident recently went viral on the internet, showing emergency personnel waiting for 40 seconds before attending to Zhang. The officials have been heavily criticised, with many questioning whether immediate medical help could have saved her life. In the short clip, a man is seen rushing to help the shuttler after she collapses, however, he stops midway and waits for further instructions.
According to BBCA PBSI spokesman later said that “medical teams have to follow a rule that requires them to get the referee’s permission before entering the court.” He added, “This is in accordance with the rules and standards of procedure that apply to every international badminton tournament.” Meanwhile, the Indonesian badminton body announced that he had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
The youngster, who originally hails from Jiaxing in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, joined the national junior team in 2023 and has won several championships, including the team and men’s titles in Group B of the China Badminton Junior Championships in 2023 and 2024.
The China Badminton Association also expressed deep sorrow and shock. They said, “Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an excellent player of the national youth badminton team.” The statement further said, “At present, the local hospital has not determined the cause of death.”
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also offered her condolences on Twitter. “Extremely sad news coming in about the passing away of young badminton player Zhang Ziyi from the Junior Asian Badminton Championships,” she wrote.
Very sad news coming in from the Junior Asian Badminton Championships about the passing of young badminton player Zhang Zhi Ji.
I offer my deepest condolences to Zhang’s family at this devastating time. Today the world has lost an extraordinary talent.
— PVSindhu (@Pvsindhu1) June 30, 2024
She added, “I offer my deepest condolences to Zhang’s family at this devastating time. Today the world has lost a remarkable talent.”