11-year-old esports prodigy wins gold and rival’s praise at the Asian Games

Japanese 11-year-old esports phenomenon Yuki Kurihara captured puzzle gold — alongside generous compliments from his rival — at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday.The glasses-wearing prodigy made quick work of South Korea's Kang Dong Shin, winning 10-2 in Puyo Puyo Champions at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall, sounding like an average youth only after his victory.Yuki trains eight hours a day and still keeps up his grades in school, Japanese media has reported. His favorite training food is eel and he found his niche in his sport when he was in kindergarten."I'm really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy," Yuki said. "Also, the plush toy is super cute, and it's cool that it is gold-coloured too.”"In the final, I was able to play against the opponent I wanted to face the most, who was also very strong,” he added.Japan's Yuki Kurihara prepares for his Puyo Puyo Champions esports quarterfinal match against Singapore's Justine Koh Mun June at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 (AP)Yuki had swept his group-stage fixtures to place first in Group A before bringing that form into the knockout stage, shutting out Singapore's Justin Koh Mun June 5-0 and defeating Thailand's Tanarak Wongkitikun 10-1 to reach the final."Looking back at the match, it's a bit frustrating," silver medalist Kang said."It's obvious that my opponent was skilled and above my level, but towards the end I didn't get the Puyo colours I needed, which led to the loss, so that part feels a bit regrettable."I was being cautious because Kurihara is extremely good at making large chain reactions. His technical ability and accuracy are incredible."I'm going to eat something delicious today."Kurihara celebrates with his gold medal after winning the Puyo Puyo Champions esports final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 (AP)Kurihara is believed to be the youngest-ever gold medalist in the Games, which began in 1951 in New Delhi, India.Esports was added to the Asian Games for the first time three years ago in Hangzhou, China, where it was so popular that tickets were dolled out by lottery. It's an audience favorite in Japan as well.