Shocking scenes have emerged from a major badminton championship after a teenage player dropped dead on the court mid-game.
On Sunday evening, 17-year-old Zhang Zhijie suddenly collapsed during a match at the Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Zhijie, from China, was playing against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano when he suffered an unexpected cardiac arrest.
Emergency medical teams immediately rushed onto the court to treat the young man but he was unresponsive.
He was quickly to the hospital by ambulance after resuscitation efforts failed.
However, he was confirmed dead when he arrived at the hospital.
Badminton Asia confirmed Zhijie’s death in a statement, saying:
“The world of badminton has lost a talented player.
“Zhijie was playing a group match against Japan when he collapsed.
“He was attended by the tournament doctor and medical team and was sent to the hospital in a standby ambulance in less than two minutes.
“He passed away at 11.30 pm local time on June 30.
“Badminton Asia, PBSI, and the organizing committee are immensely saddened and expressed their deepest condolences to Zhijie’s parents, family, and China Badminton Association (CBA).”
Video from the event shows the shocking moment Zhijie died suddenly during the game.
WATCH:
17 year-old Chinese badminton player dies suddenly.
Zhang Zhijie has died of cardiac arrest after collapsing on the court during a professional tournament in Indonesia.pic.twitter.com/oC3ukuo2MA
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) July 1, 2024
During a press conference after the incident, Broto Happy, spokesman for the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), confirmed Zhijie died from a cardiac arrest.
“Medical conclusions … indicated that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest,” Happy told reporters.
In a statement, China’s badminton association said it was “deeply saddened” by his passing.
“Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an outstanding athlete of the national youth badminton team,” the CBA said.
https://twitter.com/Byron_Wan/status/1807627860557111620
Zhijie was also supposed to play in the individual event, which commences after the mixed team on July 3.
In the event, he is the seventh seed in the boys’ singles.
China went on to win the tie 3-2 to advance to the quarter-finals as the Group D champions.
Zhijie started playing badminton in kindergarten and joined China’s national youth team last year.
Earlier this year, he won the singles title at the Dutch Junior International tournament.
READ MORE – Bombshell Study Directly Links Covid Shots to Sudden Deaths Surge
