Young Chinese Badminton Star Zhang Zhijie Dies

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – In a tragic event for the sports world, Zhang Zhijie, a 17-year-old rising star in Chinese badminton, passed away after collapsing and suffering seizures during a match at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships. The event was held in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The young athlete, born on January 30, 2007, in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, lost consciousness suddenly on June 30 during the final match of the group stage. The score was tied 11-11 in the first set against Japan's Kazuma Kawano when Zhang collapsed and began to convulse.

Images of the incident, which quickly went viral, show Zhang handing the shuttlecock to his opponent before collapsing, leaving his rival and coach in shock.

Despite receiving medical attention and being transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, Zhang passed away hours later due to sudden cardiac arrest. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, and local authorities confirmed his death at 11:20 PM local time.

Zhang, who joined the national junior team in 2023, had won numerous titles, including individual and team championships at the Chinese Junior Badminton Championships in 2023 and 2024.

The Badminton Asia Confederation and the Badminton Association of Indonesia assured that the best possible care was provided at the scene. However, criticisms emerged on social media regarding the effectiveness of the medical response, questioning the lack of automated external defibrillators and on-site cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Broto Happy, spokesperson for the Badminton Association of Indonesia, stated that the medical teams acted as quickly as possible but had to wait for the referee's authorization to enter the court. Despite these efforts, the tragedy could not be avoided.