China's 17-year-old badminton player Zhang Zhijie dies of cardiac arrest on court

A 17-year-old Chinese player Zhang Zhijie died due to cardiac arrest during a match on Sunday, Indonesia's badminton association (PBSI) reported.

While competing at the Asian Junior Championship in Yogyakarta, Zhang tragically collapsed on the court.

He was immediately provided medical assistance and transported to a hospital in Yogyakarta, where he was later declared deceased.


PBSI spokesperson Broto Happy shared this information on Monday, as reported by state news agency Antara.

"The examinations and treatments conducted by two hospitals confirmed the same outcome: Zhang suffered a sudden cardiac arrest," Broto stated. Upon arrival at the first hospital, Zhang had no pulse and underwent treatment for approximately three hours before being transferred to a second hospital, which declared him dead at 11:20 p.m.

Broto also mentioned that Zhang's family would be traveling to Yogyakarta to retrieve his body.

Meanwhile, China's badminton association informed state-backed China Newsweek that they were in discussions with Indonesian authorities to address concerns about whether Zhang received timely medical attention.