Badminton's 17-year-old junior star Zhang Zhi Jie (China) passed away during match
(July 1, 2024) The badminton community faced a heartbreaking start to the week as Zhang Zhijie, a promising young shuttler from China, tragically collapsed during a mixed team match at the Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta. He passed away on Sunday, June 30.
Badminton Asia released a statement on Monday detailing the tragic event that occurred while China was competing against Japan in a Group D match.
Zhijie was playing a boys' singles match against Kazuma Kawano when he suddenly collapsed on the court. Despite the team's efforts, he could not be revived.
China went on to win the tie 3-2, advancing to the quarter-finals as the Group D champions, but the victory was overshadowed by the loss of their teammate.
"The world of badminton has lost a talented player. Zhijie collapsed while playing a match against Japan," Badminton Asia stated. "He was immediately attended to by the tournament doctor and medical team and was rushed to the hospital in less than two minutes. Tragically, he passed away at 11:30 pm local time on June 30."
Badminton Asia, PBSI, and the organizing committee expressed their deepest condolences to Zhijie's parents, family, and the China Badminton Association (CBA).
Zhijie was also scheduled to compete in the individual events starting July 3, where he was the seventh seed in the boys' singles. His untimely passing leaves a void in the hearts of his family, friends, and the entire badminton community.