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

Badminton players and officials in Yogyakarta held a moment of silence after the death of Zhang Zhijie

July 2, 2024

A 17-year-old Chinese badminton player died after collapsing on court during a tournament in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta province on the island of Java on Monday.

Zhang Zhijie was playing against Kazuma Kawano of Japan at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships on Sunday when he collapsed and had seizures.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) said medical teams treated Zhang on court, after which he was taken to hospital.

Badminton players and officials in Yogyakarta held a minute of silence on the court Monday morning before the quarterfinals.

“The world of badminton has lost a talented player,” Badminton Asia and the PBSI said in a joint statement.

A spokesperson for the PBSI said that medical examinations showed that Zhang had suffered cardiac arrest. “The conclusion of the examination and treatment of the victim at both hospitals showed the same results, namely that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest,” PBSI spokesperson Broto Happy said.

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