17-Year-Old Chinese Badminton Player Dies After Collapsing During Championship Match: Video
Zhang Zhijie, a 17-year-old Chinese badminton player, tragically passed away after collapsing on the court during the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Zhang Zhijie, a 17-year-old Chinese badminton player, tragically passed away after collapsing on the court during the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The incident occurred during his match against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano on June 30, with the game tied at 11-11 when Zhang collapsed. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, he was declared dead at the hospital.
The Indonesian badminton body confirmed that Zhang had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. In a joint statement, Badminton Asia and the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) said, “China’s Zhang Zhijie, a singles player, collapsed on the court during a match in the evening.
He was sent to the hospital where he passed away at 23:20 local time yesterday. He was attended to by the tournament doctor and medical team. He was taken in the standby ambulance in less than two minutes and sent to hospital.” They added, “The world of badminton has lost a talented player.”
Videos of the incident, which have gone viral, show a 40-second delay before emergency personnel attended to Zhang. This has led to widespread criticism and questions about whether prompt medical assistance could have saved his life.
In the footage, a man is seen running to help Zhang but stops and waits for further instruction. A PBSI spokesman later explained that “medical teams had to follow a rule where they needed the referee’s permission before entering the court,” in accordance with international badminton tournament regulations.
Zhang, originally from Jiaxing in Zhejiang province, China, joined the national junior squad in 2023. He had won multiple championships, including team and men’s titles in Group B of the China Badminton Junior Championships in 2023 and 2024.
The China Badminton Association expressed deep sorrow and shock, stating, “Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an outstanding athlete of the national youth badminton team.” They also noted that the local hospital has not yet identified the cause of death.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu expressed her condolences on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Absolutely heartbreaking news coming from the Junior Asian Badminton Championships about the loss of young badminton player Zhang Zhijie.”
The badminton community mourns the loss of a promising young athlete whose potential was cut tragically short.
