Japan's 11-Year-Old E-Sports Prodigy Yuki Kurihara Claims Historic Asian Games Gold

Gold medallist Yuki Kurihara of Japan poses for a photo [Toru Hanai/Getty Images]

Japan’s 11-year-old e-sports prodigy Yuki Kurihara expressed feeling “embarrassed” after securing an Asian Games gold medal on Saturday by defeating a series of competitors up to three times his age.

The bespectacled primary school student, widely considered the youngest competitor at the games in Aichi-Nagoya, triumphed in the Puyo Puyo Champions final with a 10-2 score. He officially becomes the youngest athlete in the history of the host country Japan at the Asian Games.

Puyo Puyo Champions is a strategic puzzle game where participants clear their screens of coloured blobs by aligning and popping them.

Displaying an unruffled demeanor throughout the tournament, Kurihara advanced to the gold medal match following a series of impressive performances. He comfortably defeated Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun—a veteran at 28 years old—with a score of 10-1 in the semifinals, thereby securing at least a silver medal.

He remained expressionless even after overcoming South Korea’s 24-year-old Kang Dongshin in the final, despite dropping an early 1-0 lead.

Yuki Kurihara of Japan reacts after winning the gold medal after competing in the e-sports puzzle [Puyo Puyo Champions] gold medal match against Dongshin Kang of South Korea [Toru Hanai/Getty Images]

“To be completely honest, I felt a bit embarrassed, so I couldn’t really show my expressions or change my face much,” he remarked.

As he stood on the podium, he offered a slight bow upon receiving his gold medal and waved gently to the audience in the arena.

“I’m really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy,” he shared. “Also, the plush toy is super cute, and it’s cool that it is gold-coloured too.”

Kurihara began playing Puyo Puyo during his first year of primary school and quickly progressed to competing and winning in various tournaments. He secured his professional licence in April of this year and frequently defeats adult competitors.

“It’s hard having to balance it with school and cram school, but it’s really fun,” he noted prior to the commencement of the games.

While official public records regarding the youngest medallists in the history of the Asian Games—which began in 1951—are not definitive, Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas previously claimed a bronze medal in women’s skateboarding at age 12 in Jakarta in 2018. Additionally, Cui Chenxi, at 13 years old, captured a gold medal during the women’s street skateboarding event three years prior in Hangzhou.