March 25, 2024, 05:18 PM
A person in Zhengzhou, China, picked up a "work permit" card that supposedly belonged to Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew.
Users later speculated that this was a fan-made card, not one actually misplaced by Loh himself.
Unsure of what to do with the card, the person took to the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to find its owner.
Paris Olympic 2024 card
According to the post, the finder was on their way back from the Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Centre when he came across this card:
Image via 城市西客厅/Xiaohongshu
The card featured Loh's headshot and writing, which identified him as a Singapore Olympic athlete.
It was also labelled "Paris 2024" and bore the Olympic symbol.
Image via 城市西客厅/Xiaohongshu
The finder initially thought that the card was a coach ID from the badminton hall at the centre but realised otherwise when they returned home and looked up Loh's name.
"I couldn’t believe Loh would take the same route as me, as the way back home was quite dark and secluded," they remarked.
Suspecting the card to be a fan-made one, the user implored badminton fans to "please consider" the feelings of non-fans.
"When I picked this up on my way home, was I supposed to wait for the owner at where he lost his valuable item? Luckily I didn't wait two or three hours there and cycled back home instead."
Card is a fake
Responding to Mothership's queries about the card, Loh's team said: "This is a fake as far as we are aware."
People online didn't seem fooled by the card either.
"This is a fan-made card, it wasn't misplaced by Loh," wrote one commenter.
The poster replied to the comment, saying that he was relieved after people explained to him that the card wasn't real.
Comments on Xiaohongshu post
A quick gander on Taobao revealed multiple Chinese retailers selling such cards for professional athletes.
Image via 小博主文具店/Taobao
There were even sellers advertising a similar looking Paris 2024 card with Loh's name on it, along with the Tokyo 2020 version.
Images via Taobao
Plans for Paris
In an interview with The Straits Times after news of his marriage, Loh said he hopes to become the first Singaporean to win an Olympic badminton medal.
However, Loh has not made any official announcement regarding his participation in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, which will be held from Jul. 26 to Aug. 11.
Top images via 城市西客厅/Xiaohongshu and Loh Kean Yew's Instagram
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