JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's young swimmer Rikako Ikee was named the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games' Most Valuable Player (MVP) here on Sunday after winning 6 gold and 2 silver medals.
The 18-year-old Japanese won the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly as well as the 4x100m freestyle and medley relays.
The teenager is the first female winner of the award, which has been presented at every Games since the 1998 edition in Bangkok.
She also claimed 50,000 U.S. dollar in prize money.
Ikee told media via translator that she was surprised and happy to know that she was named this award while she was back in Japan after the competition. "Thanks to the OCA for considering me as the candidate," she said.
For the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, she said she will prepare more for the games. "Two years is neither long nor short, I know what I should do, I will try to achieve more in my own country."
The 2018 Indonesia Asian games, which was officially opened on August 18, saw 6 new world records, 18 Asian records and 86 Asian games records broken.
The 2018 Asiad, staging 465 events of 40 sports, attracted more than 10,000 Asian athletes. Jakarta is the main venue while several sports took place in Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatra Province.
The games will be officially ended on Sunday and the next edition is in China's Hangzhou in 2022.
