Tragedy strikes as player dies on badminton court

Fans, badminton associations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and event organizers expressed condolences on Monday following the death of 17-year-old Chinese player Zhang Zhijie on the court on Sunday during the Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Video footage of the tragic incident has gone viral on the internet, with reactions to Zhang's death being among the top trending topics on the Weibo micro blog platform on Monday, with over 80,000 discussions and more than 480 million views.

Zhang was competing in a group stage match against a Japanese player when he collapsed on Sunday. After he began convulsing on the court, his coach attempted to approach him to assess his condition but was prevented from doing so by the referee. Moments later, the coach urgently called for medical assistance.

Forty seconds elapsed before medical personnel arrived on the scene to attend to Zhang, but they did not have a defibrillator with them. Zhang was subsequently carried off the court on a stretcher.

On Monday, the Chinese Badminton Association released a statement saying that after Zhang collapsed on the court, the Chinese team leader, coaches, team doctor, translator and the tournament's medical personnel immediately organized rescue efforts and promptly sent him to hospital.

During transportation to the hospital and subsequent emergency treatment, the Chinese team leader and other staff members stayed by Zhang's side. The Chinese embassy and consulates in Indonesia also provided full support.

It said the hospital had yet to determine the cause of his collapse.

In a joint statement, Badminton Asia and the Badminton Association of Indonesia expressed their deep sorrow and extended condolences to Zhang's family, teammates and the entire badminton community.

"The world of badminton has lost a talented player," they said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded to the incident during a regular news briefing on Monday, expressing deep regret for Zhang's death and sending condolences to his family. The ministry will continue to guide the local consulate general to conduct follow-up work, she said.

Born in January 2007 in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, Zhang began his journey in badminton during his final year of kindergarten. His talent was quickly recognized, and by third grade, he was recruited into the Zhejiang provincial team.

He won the boys' singles championship and the boys' team championship in the Group B category at last year's National Youth Badminton Championships and earned a spot on the national youth team.

Following his sudden death, Zhang's sister took to Weibo to share a heartfelt tribute. Describing Zhang as an exceptionally good child, she recounted how he used his first prize money this year to buy gifts for her, their mother and their grandparents. Zhang was known for his serious dedication to badminton.

She expressed her belief that his death was the result of a delayed medical response and inadequate medical conditions.

Lu Xiao, an emergency physician at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, said on Weibo that based on video footage, Zhang might have suffered from malignant arrhythmia.

He said the critical aspect of on-site emergency treatment should have been immediate CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, rather than transporting Zhang on a stretcher.