Japan's table tennis star Ai Fukuhara, dubbed as China's darling of the crowd, announced on Wednesday her marriage to Taiwanese fellow player Chiang Hung-chieh.

The couple, who tied the knots on Sept. 1 in Tokyo, made the announcement at a press conference in Japan.

Recalling the romantic moment, Chiang, who also competed in Rio, said: "I proposed to her after the Rio Olympics when I got a chance."

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When asked how he proposed, he revealed: "I actually gave her a key and hoped that she would be an owner of our home."

Fukuhara, on the other hand, said she was "overwhelmed" during the proposal. "So I don't remember what I told him in response."

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Japanese athlete, who is regarded to as "Japanese Doll," vowed to continue pursuing her career even after the marriage. 

"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, hoping she could be an example to Japan's younger generations with athletic careers.

Fukuhara first came to China at a very young age to train for table tennis, thus earning her huge Chinese fan base. She has gained more than two million followers on Weibo, with some of its fans encouraging her to marry a Chinese man, South China Morning Post reported.

Leading Japan's table tennis team, they won a bronze at the Rio Summer Olympics held early this year. Fukuhara first competed in Olympics in 2004 at the age of 15 years old.

Tagsai fukuhara, Chiang Hung-chieh, table tennis, Japanese doll, Rio Olympics