By Henry Chen 

Ai Fukuhara got married! This is one of the headlines that welcomed the morning of August 8th in major Chinese websites. Reports say that Ai Fukuhara and Chiang Hung Chieh have applied for their marriage license in Tokyo early this month and they got married September 7th.

The world was interested when news about the romantic affair of Ai Fukuhara and Chiang Hung Chieh was revealed into a whole new level April of this year. What’s even surprising was that both have decided to marry sooner, that is after the Rio Olympic Games.

Ai Fukuhara and Chiang Hung Chieh are both professional table tennis players. They definitely understand each other’s pressures and challenges, including injuries. Therefore, a strong support system and an open communication are present in their relationship. That, among others, led to their marriage plans.

But things were not that easy for the couple. After the successful journey of Ai Fukuhara and the Japanese Women’s Team in the Rio Olympic Games, rumours tested their relationship. It was reported that officials of the Japanese National Team are apparently against to their relationship.

One reason stated was that they need Ai Fukuhara for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. They would appreciate it more if their player gets no distraction. It was also revealed that they think Chiang Hung Chieh is not at par with the Japanese star.

The officials consider the couple as a mismatch in terms of a number of aspects, including their respective values as professional athletes. Chiang Hung Chieh did not comment about the issue.

Instead of commenting, both Ai Fukuhara and Chiang Hung Chieh responded with their marriage license. Ai Fukuhara declared her intention of carrying on with her career as an athlete.

Sources: Sina Sports, Sohu Sports , Taipei Times