Tomokazu Harimoto won the boys' singles at the World Junior Table Tennis Championships for players age 18 and under on Wednesday, becoming the youngest-ever champion in the event at age 13.

Harimoto lost the first two games to Cho Seung-min of South Korea in the final but came from behind for a 4-3 victory to be the first Japanese to win the world boys' singles since Koki Niwa claimed the title in 2011.

"I'm so happy I have no words to describe it," said Harimoto, a first-year junior high school student whose parents are former table tennis players from China. "I don't know if I can advance to the final next year so I didn't want to miss this opportunity."