This article is presented without bias or favour and can be used, at no charge, for editorial purposes.

By Lin Xinyi

He has been to almost every Olympics since the 1984 Los Angeles Games – not to compete but to trade pins.

As such, the activity that Bud Kling describes as the No. 1 participating sport in the Olympics has brought him to Singapore.

During the 12-day Youth Olympic Games, the American was a mainstay at the pin trading centre at the athletes’ village, where he estimated more than 65,000 pins changed hands.

That figure is close to the size of his collection, which boasts more than 50,000 pins.

Asked how much he has spent on pins since he received his first as a volunteer at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, he simply said: “Too much.”

Sieving out his favourites also proved difficult for the 59-year-old sports events consultant.

After much thought, he highlighted three rare pins from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, 1960 Rome Olympics and the 1984 LA Games.

While he might not have them all, Kling is adamant that no pin is out of his reach.

“I might have to wait three days, three weeks or three years,” he said. “But, eventually, I’ll get it.”

This article is presented without bias or favour and can be used, at no charge, for editorial purposes.