17-year-old Chinese badminton star Zhang Zhijie dies after collapsing during match

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on Tuesday, July 2, that it will conduct a thorough review following the tragic death of 17-year-old Chinese player Zhang Zhijie, who collapsed during a match at the Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Zhang was playing on Sunday when he suddenly fell to the floor. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he died that night from cardiac arrest. Questions have arisen regarding the medical response at the venue, as footage showed a 40-second delay before any assistance arrived on the court.

“We are taking all necessary steps to thoroughly review this matter in consultation with Badminton Asia and the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI),” the BWF said in a statement.

A PBSI spokesman attributed the delayed emergency response to the referee, stating that they were following BWF rules. The BWF emphasized that it will determine if changes to these guidelines are needed after the review.

The federation is also awaiting an official report from Badminton Asia and the local organizing committee to assess whether proper medical procedures were followed when Zhang collapsed.