Chinese player Zhang Zhijie died of cardiac arrest, Indonesia badminton association says
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Zhang Zhijie, 17, died on June 20 after collapsing during a match at the Asian Junior Championship in Yogyakarta.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
JAKARTA - Indonesia's badminton association (PBSI) said 17-year-old Chinese player Zhang Zhijie died as a result of cardiac arrest after he collapsed during a match on June 30.
Zhang was competing at the Asian Junior Championship in Yogyakarta when he collapsed on court.
On Chinese social media, the incident has raised critical questions about emergency response procedures in sports events.
Video footage showed that after Zhang collapsed on the court and experienced seizures, medical personnel did not immediately intervene.
The PBSI held a press conference on July 1 stating that the athlete had no spontaneous breathing or pulse upon arrival at the hospital. It explained that the delayed medical response seen in the video was due to medical personnel needing permission from the referees before entering the court.
Zhang was treated for around three hours before being taken to a second hospital, which pronounced him dead at 11:20 p.m.
"The conclusions of the examination and treatment of the victim from two hospitals show the same results, the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest," state news agency Antara quoted PBSI spokesperson Broto Happy as saying.
Zhang's family will come to Yogyakarta to take his body, he added.
China's badminton association has told state-backed China Newsweek that they were in communication with the Indonesian side about concerns over whether Zhang had received timely medical attention. REUTERS
