11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara From Japan Makes History With E-sports Gold at Asian Games

Japan’s 11-year-old e-sports prodigy Yuki Kurihara won the Puyo Puyo Champions gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, becoming the youngest athlete in the host country’s Asian Games history.

Kurihara Beats South Korean Opponent 10-2

Kurihara defeated South Korea’s 24-year-old Kang Dongshin 10-2 in the final of the Puyo Puyo Champions event.

The Japanese schoolboy fell 1-0 early in the final but recovered strongly to take control of the contest. He had earlier defeated Thailand’s 28-year-old Tanarak Wongkitkun 10-1 in the semi-final.

Kurihara also produced a dominant run before the medal rounds, underlining the gap between the young Japanese player and several of his much older opponents.

Gold Medal At Just 11

Kurihara, a primary school student, has emerged as one of the most striking stories of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

He started playing Puyo Puyo during his first year of primary school and soon moved into competitive tournaments. He obtained his professional licence in April 2026 and has regularly competed successfully against adult players.

Despite the significance of the victory, Kurihara appeared visibly reserved after the final. He said he felt embarrassed and found it difficult to show much emotion during the medal ceremony.

From School And Cram Classes To Asian Games Gold

Kurihara has had to balance competitive gaming with school and cram classes while building his career in e-sports.

Puyo Puyo Champions is a puzzle game in which players arrange coloured blobs to clear them from the screen. The event is part of the e-sports programme at the 2026 Asian Games.

The Japanese youngster said the gold medal was beautiful, shiny and heavy, while also highlighting the cute gold-coloured plush toy awarded alongside the medal.

Youngest Asian Games Gold Medallist

Kurihara’s victory places him in the record books as the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history, although Al Jazeera noted that there are no publicly available comprehensive records covering the youngest medallists across all editions of the Games.

Before Kurihara, Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas won a women’s skateboarding bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games at the age of 12. China’s Cui Chenxi won women’s street skateboarding gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games aged 13.

Kurihara’s gold therefore adds a remarkable chapter to Japan’s home Asian Games campaign, with the 11-year-old becoming one of the youngest athletes to make a mark on the continental stage.