The men's individual class nine Paralympic champion, currently ranked second in the world, played superbly in Brazil, winning all of his matches without dropping a single set.

In the final, in which he beat the Dutchman Last Gerben in just 18 minutes, Devos made history when he became the youngest men's Paralympic table tennis champion of all time aged just 16.

Devos comfortably defeated The Netherlands’ Gerben 11-8, 11-7, 11-4.

The youngest overall champion is Poland’s Natalia Partyka, who was 15 years and two months when she won the women’s singles class 10 competition at Athens 2004.

Devos’ new accolade comes just two weeks after being voted men's Paralympic table tennis player of the year by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

The Belgian Paralympian of the Year title is awarded annually at the Sports Gala organised by the Belgian Sports Journalists' Association.

Devos follows previous winner Marieke Vervoort, the former Para athletics world champion, who won the accolade last year.

Devos topped the poll with 320 points, beating two other Paralympic champions in Florian Van Acker and Peter Genyn who earned 282 and 273 points respectively.

Genyn, meanwhile, was awarded the "Vlaamse Sportjuweel".

After being crowned European and Paralympic Champion over both 100 metres and 400m T51, Genyn has been given the prestigious award, which the Flemish community presents annually to an athlete who has delivered a remarkable and exceptional sporting performance.

Following taekwondo Olympian Jaouad Achab in 2015, the wheelchair racer from Kalmthout is the third Paralympic athlete to receive the Vlaamse Sportjuweel.

Gino De Keersmaeker also won the award in 2004 for his achievements at the Athens 2004 Games, as did Vervoort in 2012.