Published1. July 2024, 15:36
Indonesia: Young badminton hopeful dies in match
Chinese man Zhang Zhijie, 17, suffered a “sudden cardiac arrest”.
Zhang Zhijie died Sunday during a tournament in Yogyakarta on the Indonesian island of Java.
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A 17-year-old Chinese badminton player has died after collapsing on the court during a match following a cardiac arrest at an Asian tournament in Indonesia, organizers said Monday.
“Chinese singles player Zhang Zhijie collapsed on the court during a match on Sunday evening,” the Badminton Confederation of Asia and the Badminton Federation of Indonesia (PBSI) said in a joint statement.
Zhang Zhijie fell ill while facing Japan’s Kazuma Kawano in the first set, 11-11, at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Yogyakarta on the Indonesian island of Java.
“He was treated by the tournament doctor and medical team (and) was transported to the emergency ambulance in less than two minutes,” the statement said.
The young player was “taken to hospital where he died at 11:20 p.m.” on Sunday, the statement said.
Hesitant response
“The medical findings… indicated that the victim suffered a sudden cardiac arrest,” Broto Happy, spokesman for the Indonesian Badminton Federation (PBSI), later told a news conference in Yogyakarta.
The spokesman defended the response of medical staff and local organisers as footage showed what appeared to be a hesitant response to the teenager falling face down on the pitch.
He also explained that the medical teams had to wait for the referee to let them onto the pitch.
The young athlete’s parents were due to travel to Yogyakarta to collect his body, he said.
Prestigious victory in the Netherlands
The Chinese Badminton Federation expressed its “deepest condolences to the parents and family” of the player.
Zhang Zhijie started playing badminton at a young age, in kindergarten, and joined the Chinese junior national team last year.
Earlier this year, he won the singles title at the Dutch Junior International, a prestigious youth tournament held in Haarlem, Netherlands.
On Monday, a minute of silence was observed at the team tournament which continues in Yogyakarta and the Chinese team wore black armbands.
Indian player Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, who won Olympic silver and bronze in 2016 and 2021 respectively, called Zhang’s death “absolutely heartbreaking”.
“The world has lost a remarkable talent today,” she wrote on the X network (formerly Twitter), offering “her deepest condolences” to the young player’s family.
(afp)
2024-07-01 16:01:57
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