17-year-old Chinese badminton player collapses on court and dies; medical response time decried
17-year-old Chinese badminton player Zhang Zhijie died after collapsing during a tournament in Indonesia, sparking outcry among fans over a delayed medical response.
A 17-year-old Chinese badminton player died after he collapsed during a tournament in Indonesia, sparking outcry over what some on social media lambasted as a delayed medical response.
Zhang Zhijie, a singles player, collapsed on the court Sunday during a match against a Japanese opponent at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Badminton Asia and the Badminton Association of Indonesia, or PBSI, said in a joint statement.
The tournament doctor and medical team responded to Zhang on the court, and he was taken to a standby ambulance “in less than two minutes and sent to the hospital,” the statement said.
After he collapsed, Zhang suffered seizures. Broto Happy, a spokesperson for the Badminton Association of Indonesia, told reporters at a news conference that Zhang was taken to two hospitals that showed the same results, “namely that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest,” The Associated Press reported.
“Badminton Asia, PBSI and the organizing committee are immensely saddened and expressed their deepest condolences to Zhang’s parents, family and Chinese badminton association,” Badminton Asia and PBSI said in their joint statement. “The world of badminton has lost a talented player.”
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