Swimming champion Park Tae-hwan has emerged as one of the strongest candidates for the Most Valuable Player award at the Guangzhou Asian Games, for the second Asiad in a row.

The triple gold medal winner is among 10 candidates on a short list released by the award selection committee, which is composed of members of the games' organizing committee, the Olympic Council of Asia, and journalists.

Other Korean athletes on the list include Lee Dae-myung and Han Jin-seop, who each won three gold medals in men's shooting.

China has six contenders, including Sun Yang with two gold medals in men's swimming, female swimmer Tang Yi with four gold and gymnast Sui Lu, also with four gold.

Japan has one candidate, Ryosuke Irie, who won three gold medals in men's swimming.

The ceremony will take place on Friday. The winner will receive $50,000 and a Samsung LCD TV. The Samsung MVP award was first issued at the Bangkok 1998 Asian Games to commend the most outstanding athlete of the Asiad.

- THE CHOSUN ILBO (KOREA)