[Lydia Shum's Instagram]
[Lydia Shum's Instagram]

A Hong Kong athlete who once promised EXO member Kai at a fan signing event that she would win a gold medal has made good on that vow — at the Asian Games.

The athlete is Lydia Shum (Cen Xiaoyue), a member of Hong Kong's national wushu team. Shum won gold in the women's changquan final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday at the Aichi Prefectural Budokan, scoring 9.713 points. It was Hong Kong's first gold medal of the Games.

That day, Shum posted on Instagram, tagging the accounts of EXO and Kai: "I actually won an Asian Games gold medal."

A video she shared showed the moment at an EXO fan signing event when she met Kai and made the promise. When Kai asked, "Can you win a gold medal?" Shum replied, "I'll do my best."

"I worked hard to keep this promise. Thank you," Shum wrote, expressing her gratitude to EXO and Kai. She then added, "See you at the encore concert from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8," showing she remains a loyal fan.

Shum, who served as Hong Kong's flag bearer at the Asian Games, has been an EXO fan for 13 years. In July, she posted a photo with the group on social media, writing: "One of the biggest reasons I became a professional athlete is that when I watched EXO as a child, I wanted to be someone who shines on stage just like them. EXO has had a huge influence on me."

The gold adds to a career that already includes a World Games combined-event gold and a world championship title, cementing Shum's place at the top of the sport's major international competitions.

"It feels like a dream. I've been waiting for this moment," she told local media after the victory. Under Hong Kong's athlete incentive system, the gold medal earns Shum a bonus of HK$1 million (about $129,000).


bbo@heraldcorp.com