17-year-old Chinese badminton player dies after cardiac arrest on court

A young badminton player from China, aged 17, tragically passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest during a match in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, according to officials on Monday.
Zhang Zhijie was competing against Kazuma Kawano from Japan in the Asia Junior Championships late on Sunday when he suddenly collapsed on the court during the first game of the match.
Despite immediate medical attention at the venue and being swiftly transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance, Zhang sadly succumbed to his condition later that night. Repeated attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
"Medical conclusions... indicated that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest," AFP quoted Broto Happy, spokesman for the Badminton Association of Indonesia, as saying in a press conference.
Zhang's parents were en route to the city to claim his remains, according to the spokesperson.
The representative justified the reactions of the medical personnel and event organizers following the release of a video that seemed to depict a tentative response to the adolescent collapsing face-first on the court.
He explained that the medical staff were required to wait for the referee's permission before entering the court.
"The world of badminton has lost a talented player," Badminton Asia and the PBSI said in a statement.
Zhang's passion for badminton began at a young age, as he started playing the sport while still in kindergarten. His talent and dedication were recognized when he was selected to join China's national youth team the previous year.
Zhang's skills on the court were showcased when he emerged victorious in the singles category at the Dutch Junior International earlier this year. This tournament is highly regarded in the youth badminton circuit.
The badminton association of China expressed their profound grief and sorrow upon learning of Zhang's passing. "Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an outstanding athlete of the national youth badminton team," they said in a statement.
The team tournament observed a moment of silence on Monday to honor the memory of a fallen athlete. As a sign of mourning, the Chinese team donned black armbands before resuming the competition. China emerged victorious against Taiwan with a 3-0 score.
PV Sindhu, India's double Olympic medallist, expressed her profound sorrow upon learning of Zhang's passing, describing it as "absolutely heartbreaking".
"I offer my deepest condolences to Zhang's family during this devastating time," Sindhu wrote on X. "The world has lost a remarkable talent today."
Governing body, the Badminton World Federation, said it was "saddened by the loss of emerging badminton talent Zhang Zhijie.
"We offer our deepest condolences to his family, his teammates, to the Chinese Badminton Association, and the entire Chinese badminton community," it said in a statement.