Asian Youth Badminton Championships
[Saba Sports News] A tragic incident occurred at the 2024 Asian Youth Badminton Championships. Zhang Zhijie, a 17-year-old Chinese rising star, sadly passed away on the court. Based on the game footage, after Zhang Zhijie fell and experienced convulsions, the referee prevented the coach and team doctor from entering the court, and immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not performed by the medical staff. Following this, Zheng Siwei, who was also a teammate from Zhejiang, expressed his anger in an article, hoping that this incident would garner attention from the Badminton World Federation, the Asian Badminton Federation, and society as a whole. He emphasized that under any circumstances, staying alive should be prioritized over the game itself. Chinese male singles player Shi Yu Qi also posted a message in memory of Zhang Zhijie, stating that he would carry on his unfinished dream and continue to move forward! After several days of speculation, fans and media started to question the rules set by the BWF. In the editor’s opinion, from a rules perspective alone, the referee did not make any mistakes as he was following the existing regulations. However, considering human nature and crisis management, the referee and the organizing committee received zero points. Although competitive sports prioritize winning, there is no doubt that “life first” should always take precedence over “winning.”