Badminton player's death reason to amend rules

Seventeen-year-old Chinese badminton player Zhang Zhijie collapsed and died while playing at the 2024 Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on Sunday. One cannot overlook the fact that after he collapsed the on-site medical team did not seem to have used an automated external defibrillator to revive him or performed timely cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him.

As is clear from the on-site video, the medical team wasted the critical "golden four minutes" as they did not seem to have an AED, although it is one of the most effective means to save someone facing sudden cardiac arrest.

The video shows Zhang's coach entering the sports arena after he collapsed but being signaled by the referee to leave. At least 40 seconds later, rescue personnel arrived, but there was no sign of a defibrillator. A minute later, Zhang was carried away on a stretcher.

At a news conference on Monday, the Badminton Association of Indonesia stated that they had submitted a written application to the Badminton World Federation requesting a revision of the rules that bar medical teams from entering a sports arena without the referee's permission. The BWF responded saying they will thoroughly investigate Zhang's death and determine whether there is a need to amend the relevant rules. This may be a good start to prevent a similar tragedy happening on court again.