Teenage Chinese badminton player dies after collapsing during tournament in Indonesia

The teenager was treated on site and taken to hospital by ambulance. However, he died that same evening after several resuscitation attempts failed.

“The medical conclusions … indicated that the victim suffered a sudden cardiac arrest,” Broto Happy, spokesman for the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), said at a press conference in Yogyakarta.

Zhang’s parents were on their way to the city to pick up his body, he said.

The spokesman defended the actions of medical staff and local organizers after footage showed the teenager appearing hesitant to respond to the boy falling face down on the square.

He said the medical teams would have to wait until the referee allowed them onto the field.

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

Zhang started playing badminton in kindergarten and joined the Chinese youth national team last year.

Earlier this year he won the singles title at the Dutch Junior International, a prestigious youth tournament.

The Chinese Badminton Association expressed its “deep sadness”.

“Zhang Zhijie loved badminton and was an outstanding athlete of the national youth badminton team,” the CBA said in a statement.

In the team events on Monday, a minute’s silence was observed and the Chinese team wore black armbands as a sign of respect before competition resumed. China defeated Taiwan 3-0.

India’s PV Sindhu, who won Olympic silver and bronze, described Zhang’s death as “absolutely heartbreaking.”

“I extend my deepest condolences to Zhang’s family at this devastating time,” Sindhu, who was not at the tournament, wrote on X. “The world has lost a remarkable talent today.”

The Badminton World Federation expressed its “sadness at the loss of rising badminton talent Zhang Zhijie”.

“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, teammates, the Chinese Badminton Association and the entire Chinese badminton community,” it said in a statement.