Table tennis marriage takes place in Japan

Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara (right) and her husband, Chiang Hung-chieh, a Chinese table tennis player from Taipei, Taiwan, show their wedding rings at a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday.Ma Ping / Xinhua

Japanese table tennis starAi Fukuhara announced on Wednesday her marriage to Chiang Hung-chieh, a Chinese table tennis player from Taipei, Taiwan. The couple said at a news conference that they married on Sept 1 in Tokyo.

Fukuhara thanked her fans for their support and hinted that she would continue her athletic career.

"Most female athletes in Japan give up their career after marriage. But Chiang's support makes me feel that I can continue my career even after our marriage," she said, adding that she wants to show the younger generations of Japanese female athletes another option.

The 27-year-old star was regarded as a child prodigy in table tennis inJapan. Shewent to China, which has dominated the sport for decades, to be trained at a young age.

Fukuhara, who speaks fluent Mandarin, is wellknown in China and has a large fan base. The Japanese women's table tennis team led by Fukuhara won a bronze medal at the Rio Summer Olympics in August.