Maria Belen Perez Maurice hugs Lucas Guillermo Saucedo after accepting his marriage proposal at Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba, Japan, on Monday. Reuters

Gulf Today Report
 
Disappointment of first round exit turned into joy for Argentine fencer Maria Belen Perez Maurice at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday as the athlete said yes to a marriage offer from coach and her long-time partner.

Perez Maurice accepted the proposal in front of television cameras. Visibly dejected after bowing out of the tournament, she was answering the scribes when her coach, Lucas Saucedo, put one knee to the ground and asked "Do you want to marry me?"

Saucedo said "tell me yes, a lot of people are looking at us."

Eleven years ago also Saucedo tried a similar stunt at the world championships in Paris, but with far less luck.

At that time Back then, Perez Maurice had said "Is this a joke or what?"

But after 11 years she finally said 'yes. '

Perez Maurice, who has been in a relationship with Saucedo for 17 years said that she was speechless.

"Oh my God," she said to herself.

Perez Maurice said that they will celebrate it in Argentina around a big asado (a traditional barbecue).

On Sunday, Germany football forward Max Kruse also successfully asked his girlfriend to marry him on live TV after his team's 3-2 win over Saudi Arabia.