"Stop Animal Abuse"... Soccer Player Honors Cat Victim with Celebration After First Goal of the Season

Chinese Media: “A Historic First for Celebration”

A Chinese player who scored a dramatic equalizing goal during a professional soccer match attracted attention by delivering a celebration featuring a message against animal cruelty.

According to Chinese media outlet Sina on September 6, on August 29, during the 25th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) at Henan Province, the match between Henan FC and Chongqing Tongliang Long saw Chongqing’s defender Luan Qirong score an equalizer in the 58th minute of the second half.

In a professional soccer match, a Chinese player who scored a dramatic equalizing goal gained attention by performing a celebration where he raised his shin guard bearing the message "Stop Animal Cruelty." Photo by Xinhua News Agency

When Chongqing was trailing 0-1, Luan Qirong received a pass from Kenpanu and fired a low shot from the front of the penalty area. The ball found the bottom left corner of the goal, marking Luan Qirong’s first goal of the season. Thanks to this dramatic equalizer, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

However, what gained the most attention that day was Luan Qirong’s celebration after scoring. After his goal, Luan Qirong leaped over the advertising boards and ran to the camera. He then took off his shin guard and showed it to the camera.

The shin guard displayed a drawing of a cat along with a message in Chinese reading “Stop Animal Cruelty.” The cat illustration was known to be related to an animal abuse case that occurred in China in 2023. At that time, a blogger stole a cat, abused it, and uploaded videos related to the abuse online for profit, sparking public outrage. The perpetrator of the cat abuse incident was reportedly not punished and was believed to have fled abroad.

As cats died because of the abuse, calls for tougher measures to prevent animal cruelty grew intense at the time. There was widespread interpretation that Luan Qirong, not forgetting the abuse case, used the moment of celebrating his first goal of the season to deliver a message calling for an end to animal cruelty.

Luan Qirong’s celebration was broadcast live nationwide. Chinese media outlets marveled, calling it “the first ceremony of its kind in the Chinese league.” It was noted that, as with Luan Qirong’s case, it is extremely rare for sports stars or celebrities in China to openly call for a ban on animal cruelty.

Furthermore, his gesture reportedly reignited discussions on animal abuse in China. Local online users responded with comments such as “I applaud his courage,” and “The scariest thing is not censorship, but the absence of laws or countermeasures to address such abuse,” showing widespread support.

Recently, there has been a surge in incidents in China where perpetrators take advantage of the lack of adequate punishment for animal cruelty, abusing and killing cats and dogs acquired via fake adoptions. Although internet users who encounter such cases have been reporting them to authorities, it is said that no official action is being taken. As animal abuse cases continue to grow in scale, some lament that “Animals born on Chinese soil are effectively living in hell.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.