Safety first

Asian Junior Badminton Championship: The tragic passing of 17-year-old Chinese badminton player Zhang Zhijie during the Asian Junior Badminton Championship in Indonesia has raised critical questions about emergency response procedures in sports events.

Video footage shows that after Zhang collapsed on the court and experienced seizures, medical personnel did not immediately intervene. The delay in using an automated external defibrillator and performing effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation has drawn significant scrutiny.

The Indonesian Badminton Association, in conjunction with local hospitals, held a press conference on Monday, stating that the athlete had no spontaneous breathing or pulse upon arrival at the hospital. They explained that the delayed medical response seen in the video was due to medical personnel needing permission from the referees before entering the court, reports Xinhua.