TABLE TENNIS/Taiwan's Lin Yun-ju named MVP in Japan's table tennis league

Taipei, March 22 (CNA) Taiwan's top male table tennis player Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) has been named the 2023-24 regular season MVP of T.LEAGUE, the Japanese semi-professional league announced on Friday.

Nicknamed the "Silent Assassin from Taiwan," Lin will be awarded 1 million Japanese yen (US$6,614) for the honor, given his 16-2 record on a league-best 88.9 winning percentage.

That performance led the Kinoshita-Meister Tokyo to top the league with a 15-5 record and to the final on Saturday.

Now 22, the world No. 6 young phenom led Taiwan's men's team to the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea in late February to tie the team's best performance in the tourney.

That result also saw Taiwan secure a Paris Olympic berth in the men's team event and two in the men's singles.

He will vie for the title at the WTT Champions Incheon in South Korea starting on March 27, before teaming up with female paddler Chen Szu-yu (陳思羽) at the World Mixed Doubles Olympic Qualification in Havirov, Czech Republic in mid-April.