TABLE TENNIS/Table tennis star Lin Yun-ju invests in U.S. pro team

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Taiwan's top table tennis player Lin Yun-ju (林昀儒) made his debut in the American pro table tennis scene by taking on a new role as a team's co-owner.

On Wednesday, the Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), founded in September 2023, announced on its official website that Lin had become part of the ownership group of the Princeton Revolution, one of the league's eight teams.

MLTT CEO Flint Lane described Lin's investment as "another great milestone for table tennis in America," saying that the league's "commitment to growth and innovation is drawing attention from the best in the sport, and we're honored by the interest and support of such talented athletes."

Nicknamed the "Silent Assassin," Lin was said to have invested in the team at the invitation of Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany, a top-ranked table tennis player who defeated Lin in the men's singles bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The two were former teammates in Germany's premier table tennis league, the Bundesliga.

"Having Lin on board is another significant step for the Princeton Revolution and MLTT," Ovtcharov, one of the team's initial co-owners, was quoted as saying.

"It shows the positive momentum MLTT is building within the global table tennis community."

The other owners of the Princeton Revolution are entrepreneurs Roger Kang and André Liu, according to MLTT.

Meanwhile, Lin advanced to the quarterfinals at the WTT Champions Frankfurt tournament on Thursday after a 3-2 victory over world No. 12 Dang Qiu of Germany.

This win marked their first matchup since 2019 when Lin defeated Qiu 4-0 at the Budapest stop of the WTT series.

Lin, now 23, remains Taiwan's top male table tennis player, though his world ranking recently dropped to 14th -- his lowest in over five years.