Go star Hsu Hao-hung wins Taiwan's 2025 'Mr. Popular' and MVP Awards

Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's Go ace and Asian Games gold medalist Hsu Hao-hung (許皓鋐) was named both "Mr. Popular" and the MVP in the sport in 2025 at an annual awards ceremony in Taipei on Friday.

In a public vote, Hsu won 151 of 630 votes (32.5 percent) to narrowly defeat 9-dan professional Hsiao Cheng-hao (蕭正浩) for the most popular player award.

He dominated the MVP race -- voted on exclusively by professional players -- with 57.9 percent of the vote, while Hsiao finished second with 15.8 percent.

"I actually felt a little bit of regret winning these awards because I didn't think my performance this year was my best," the 24-year-old Hsu said, noting a tendency to lose concentration during the later phases of matches.

Despite his self-criticism, Hsu remained the top earner in Taiwanese Go for the seventh consecutive year.

He brought in NT$4,942,500 (US$156,548) in prize money in 2025, nearly NT$2 million more than runner-up Lai Jyun-fu (賴均輔), even though he competed in only five of Taiwan's eight major Go tournaments, of which he won four.

Where he struggled in 2025 was in pitting his skills against stronger opponents in World Cup events and in top league tournaments in China and South Korea.

That means that unlike the previous two years, when he almost always qualified directly for top-tier international tournaments, he will have to compete in overseas qualifiers in 2026, Hsu told CNA.

He saw that extra challenge, however, as being a positive for him. "The qualifiers feel less stressful and allow me to enjoy the competitive atmosphere more," he said.

Meanwhile, 9-dan pro Wang Yuan-jyun (王元均) was recognized for achieving the most victories in Taiwan in 2025, totaling 53 wins -- just one more than Lai.

Also, Cheng Yu-hao (鄭予皓), a 13-year-old who turned professional in 2023, was voted Rookie of the Year by his peers. Eligibility for this award is restricted to players who turned pro after 2021.