Man mourns sudden death of fellow badminton player, 43: ‘No game is more important than your health’
A man is mourning the sudden death of his fellow badminton player and friend, who collapsed and died from a heart attack during a badminton session in Malaysia.
On Sept 24, Facebook user Jerry Soon paid a heartfelt tribute to his friend, Chong Kun Meng, 43, who died suddenly in front of him. He took the opportunity to remind others to take care of their health.
According to an obituary attached to his post, Chong died on Sept 22, and his funeral service is scheduled for Sept 26.
Man collapsed during badminton session, died from heart attack
Recounting the tragic events, Soon said he attended a badminton session co-hosted by Chong on Sept 22 when the 43-year-old, who had been playing a doubles game, stopped and stepped outside to get some fresh air. Chong apparently remained outside the court for more than 30 minutes.
When he returned, he told the group that he had been feeling very tired lately, was stressed from work, and had not been getting enough rest.
Later, as Chong was outside removing his shoes to leave, he suddenly collapsed from the chair he was sitting on
Witnessing this, Soon said one of their friends ran into the hall to call for help, prompting the others to rush outside.
Soon recounted that Chong was struggling to breathe at the time, prompting them to immediately commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while others called for an ambulance.
“Several people took turns performing CPR. I stayed beside him, holding his head and fanning him while everyone did whatever we could to help,” Soon wrote.
“It felt like forever,” he said.
Soon said more than 30 minutes passed before paramedics arrived and took over the resuscitation efforts. They administered oxygen, used an automated external defibrillator (AED) and continued providing emergency treatment before moving Chong into the ambulance.
“Sadly, we lost him,” said Soon.
Post-mortem examination later revealed that Chong had a blocked artery and had died of a heart attack.
‘No game is more important than your health’
Soon said in his post that he was still “deeply shaken” by what had happened.
“Watching someone I knew collapse in front of me, and seeing everyone desperately trying to save him, is something I don’t think I will forget,” he said.
In sharing the post, Soon said he wanted to remind his friends to “take care of (themselves).”
Soon stressed that no one should take their health for granted, regardless of their age or how active they are. He urged others to have regular health checks, get enough rest, manage stress properly, and avoid overworking themselves.
“Most importantly, listen to your body,” Soon said.
He also urged others not to ignore warning signs such as unusual tiredness, breathlessness, dizziness or chest discomfort, and to stop if they felt that something was not right.
“No game, work deadline or commitment is more important than your health,” wrote Soon. “We only have one life. There will always be another badminton game to play.”
“Rest in peace, my friend.”
‘A very helpless feeling’: Man describes losing friend
Speaking to Stomp, Soon said everything happened so quickly that, throughout those 30 minutes, he only kept hoping that Chong would respond and start breathing again.
It was only when the paramedics arrived and took over that the 47-year-old programme director began to realise how serious the situation was and that he could lose his friend.
“It was a very helpless feeling,” he said.
Soon described Chong as a friendly and selfless person who always brightened the lives of those around him.
“It’s still hard to believe that what started as just another normal badminton night became the last time we would see him,” he said.
Reflecting on what he would say to Chong if he had one last chance, Soon said he would tell him that everyone had tried their best to save him that night. He was not alone — there were many friends around him, “fighting for him until the very end”.
“I hope he knows that he will be missed and remembered by all of us,” he said.
Sister describes him as ‘superman’, filial and responsible
Chong’s elder sister, Yvonne, told Stomp that her brother was someone “filial and responsible”.
“He would never say ‘no’ to the people around him and was like superman, always able to take on different roles and adapt to different situations,” the account executive said.
Most of all, Yvonne said she would miss her brother’s smile.
‘It really reminds us how precious life is’: Netizens
Netizens expressed their condolences to Chong’s loved ones in the comments of Soon’s Facebook post.
“May his soul rest in peace,” one wrote, while others said he was “gone too soon”.
Several commenters also agreed on the importance of taking care of one’s health.
“Thank you for sharing the details. It really reminds us how precious life is and how important it is to take care of our health,” a user wrote.
One commenter shared a similar experience, saying he developed “body fatigue” at 55 due to work stress and a lack of sleep. He said the experience prompted him to take a three-year break from his usual pace of life.
Another commenter claimed he suffered a heart attack this year and urged others, especially those aged 40 and above, to undergo an ECG stress test.
“Life is so fragile nowadays... It’s sad to see young energetic people just pass away during exercise,” one user said.
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