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 the 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.

"Seyithan was a successful athlete who was a youth European champion," Ercin told Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

"We are very saddened."