Zhang Zhijie: Death of Chinese badminton teenager triggers outcry

The death of a teenage Chinese badminton player who collapsed on the court has sparked an outcry on Chinese social media.

Zhang Zhijie, 17, was taking part in a youth game when he suddenly fell to the ground in convulsions. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Footage of the incident, widely shared online, shows a pause of about 40 seconds before paramedics rushed to care for Zhang.

The officials faced heavy criticism and questions were raised as to whether his life could have been saved by quicker medical intervention.

The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) later stated that he had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Badminton Asia Junior Championships match took place in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta on Sunday, with Zhang playing against Kazuma Kawano of Japan.

After Zhang collapses, a man is seen rushing to his aid, but he stops abruptly and appears to look away from the field for further instructions.

A PBSI spokesman later told reporters that medical teams had to follow a rule that required them to obtain permission from the referee before entering the field.

“This is in line with the regulations and procedural standards that apply to any international badminton tournament,” he said.

Badminton Asia, the regional arm of the sport’s governing body Badminton World Federation, also said Zhang was taken to an ambulance within two minutes.

PBSI now plans to ask the federation to revise this rule so that it is “more situational and can be acted upon more quickly so that athletes can be rescued should a similar case arise in the future.”

Other professional sports associations, such as the British Football Association, have similar regulations.

But there were violent outbursts of anger among Chinese users of the social media platform Weibo, with many condemning the rule across the board.

“What is more important – the rules or someone’s life?” was one comment that garnered thousands of likes.

“Did they miss the ‘golden time’ to save him?” read another comment under a hashtag about Zhang’s death, which has been a trending topic on Weibo for days.

Others called on the Badminton World Federation to “revise” the rules, with one saying: “Why do we need a permit when lives are at stake?”

Chinese state media Xinhua published a commentary on Tuesday morning saying the incident raised “critical questions” about emergency response at sporting events.

“No matter how the rules are worded or how the referees blow their whistles, the first rule on the field should always be to give priority to life,” it says.

Zhang was hailed as a rising star in the sport and his death sparked numerous tributes and condolences.

Badminton Asia expressed its “extreme sadness” and added that “the badminton world has lost a talented player.”