List of most popular Asian athletes

Los Angeles, Nov. 16 (CNA) Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin has been ranked the second most popular Asian athlete by U.S.-based magazine The Diplomat, while Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng placed seventh.

Lin is also the only athlete to make the “Top 10 Most Popular Asian Athletes” list who was not born in Asia. Despite that, though, the magazine noted that Lin has proven a superstar in Asia, where he is even more popular than in his home country, the United States.

“After Yao Ming‘s retirement, the Harvard-educated Houston Rockets guard is indisputably the NBA’s new ambassador across the Pacific,” the article said.

The article also praises Tseng for having become the youngest golfer — male or female — to win five major titles, despite her recent slip.

She held the No. 1 ranking in the LPGA for 109 consecutive weeks from 2011-13.

Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao placed first on the list, with the magazine calling him “a global icon.”

Following Jeremy Lin, Japanese baseball player Ichiro Suzuki came in third, followed by Chinese tennis player Li Na, with soccer player Park Ji-Sung of South Korea ranking fifth.

Just above Yani Tseng, India’s Sachin Tendulkar placed sixth, described as “perhaps the greatest player in the history of (cricket).”

Behind Tseng, the top 10 is rounded out by swimmer Sun Yang of China, figure skater Kim Yuna of South Korea, and gymnast Kohei Uchimura of Japan.

via Jeremy Lin, Yani Tseng listed among most popular Asian athletes | Sports | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS.