Turkish taekwondo athlete dies after heart attack
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An official says a 21-year-old Turkish taekwondo athlete has died after suffering a heart attack during a tournament in Luxor, Egypt.
Turkish Taekwondo Federation official Ramazan Ercin said Seyithan Akbalik collapsed while competing against a Slovenian athlete on Saturday.
Ercin said Akbalik was taken to a hospital where he died.
Akbalik was taking part in the men's 63-kilogram category at the Luxor Open, where Ercin said athletes hoped to earn points to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was one of 13 Turkish athletes taking part.
Ercin told Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency: "Seyithan was a successful athlete who was a youth European champion. We are very saddened."
