A top Chinese sports official called January 5 for immediate medical protections for athletes in wake of a volleyball star having collapsed and died of heart attack on January 4.

Gao Shenyang, vice chief of the National Volleyball Administration Center, said the death of Zhu Gang, a national player who served for the Sichuan Fulan in the league before he died, was a big loss of the Chinese volleyball.

"The death of Zhu Gang is calling for help from medical research centers and social awareness," Gao said.

Zhu, who turned to 30 on Tuesday, collapsed during Wednesday's practice and died of veins tumour disease after a 12-hour emergency operation on Wednesday night. He died on Thursday fternoon.

Doctors said the main artery on Zhu's heart had broken before he was rushed to the hospital in Mianyang, Sichuan Province.

The 2.04-meter player had won two Asian Championships titles in1997 and 1999, once the trophy at the Asian Cup in 1998, in the national team.

Zhu, who was married in 1999, led Sichuan Pulan to three domestic league championships from 1996-1999 and won the national championships for Sichuan at the Eighth National Games in 1998.

??People's Daily 01/06/01??