17-Year-Old Badminton Star Dies After Collapsing on Court Mid-Game

A 17-year-old rising badminton star has died after he collapsed in the middle of a game on Sunday, BBC reported.

Zhang Zhijie was competing last weekend in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia when he suddenly fell to the ground and began convulsing. A spokesperson for Indonesia's badminton association, PBSI, later confirmed that the young man died of a cardiac arrest.

“The conclusion of the examination and treatment of the victim at both hospitals showed the same results, namely that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest,” Broto Happy, the spokesperson for the Badminton Association of Indonesia, said in a statement (via The Associated Press).

A video which was widely circulated on social media shows the tragic moment Zhang collapsed. One man rushes onto the court before looking behind him and stopping, having apparently been told to hold back. About 40 seconds after he collapsed, medical staff arrived on the court to treat Zhang. He was taken to Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The delay caused a furor on social media, with many speculating Zhang’s life could have been saved with swifter intervention. However, PBSI confirmed that this was in keeping with the policies for such a situation, which states medical teams need permission from the game’s referee before entering the court.

“That is in accordance with the regulations and standards of procedure that applies [sic] to every international badminton tournament," PBSI’s spokesperson said.

Badminton Asia, the regional arm of the Badminton World Federation, confirmed that Zhang was in an ambulance within two minutes of his collapse.

PBSI confirmed they plan to ask the federation to adapt the rule to make it "more situational, for actions to be taken more quickly so that athletes can be saved if there is a similar case in the future.”

Zhang was considered a rising star of the sport, with his death sparking an outpouring of tributes to him and his family. Badminton Asia said they were “immensely saddened” by Zhang’s passing. “The world of badminton has lost a talented player,” they added.

At the championship’s quarterfinals on Monday, officials and players paid tribute to the late player by holding a minute of silence for him on the court.