11-Year-Old Japanese Prodigy Takes Asian Games Gold in Esports

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan – An 11-year-old Japanese primary school student, Yuki Kurihara, just snagged an Asian Games gold medal in esports, besting opponents nearly three times his age. He called the whole experience “embarrassing.”

The bespectacled youngster, widely believed to be the youngest athlete competing at these games, dominated the Puyo Puyo Champions final with a decisive 10-2 victory. He’s now the youngest Japanese athlete to ever win an Asian Games medal.

Puyo Puyo Champions is a puzzle game. Players clear their screens by lining up and popping colored blobs. Kurihara made it look easy.

He showed no nerves. The kid waltzed into the gold medal match with a string of dazzling displays.

A Path to Gold

Kurihara crushed Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun, a seasoned player at 28, with a shocking 10-1 win in the semifinals. That secured him at least a silver medal. He didn’t even crack a smile after beating South Korea’s 24-year-old Kang Dongshin in the final, despite briefly falling behind 1-0.

“To be completely honest, I felt a bit embarrassed, so I couldn’t really show my expressions or change my face much,” Kurihara explained later. He kept his composure.

On the podium, he gave a slight bow as he accepted his gold medal. Then, a small wave to the crowd. “I’m really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy,” he said. “Also, the plush toy is super cute, and it’s cool that it is gold-coloured too.”

Youngest on Record

Kurihara started playing Puyo Puyo in his first year of primary school. He quickly began competing and winning tournaments. He earned his professional license in April of this year and regularly beats adult players.

“It’s hard having to balance it with school and cram school, but it’s really fun,” he mentioned before the games.

Official records for the youngest medalists in Asian Games history, which date back to 1951, aren’t publicly available. However, Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas won bronze in women’s skateboarding at 12 in 2018. Cui Chenxi, at 13, took gold in women’s street skateboarding three years ago. Kurihara, at 11, now sits comfortably ahead of them all.

The young prodigy has clearly made his mark, proving age is just a number when it comes to competitive gaming skill.