Yuki Kurihara wins Asian Games esports gold at age 11

Yuki Kurihara, an 11-year-old Japanese esports prodigy, has won the gold medal in the Puyo Puyo Champions event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Kurihara, a primary school student, is believed to be the youngest medalist in the history of the Asian Games.

In the final match, Kurihara defeated South Korea’s Kang Dongshin with a score of 10-2. Prior to the final, he secured his place by defeating Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun 10-1 in the semifinals and overcoming Singapore’s Justin Koh Mun June in the quarterfinals.

Kurihara, who obtained his professional license in April, noted that he felt “a bit embarrassed” by his dominant performance, which prevented him from showing much emotion during the matches. He expressed great happiness regarding the gold medal and the mascot plush toy received as a prize.

In addition to the esports victory, the Asian Games saw other notable Japanese performances, including Ichitaka Yamashita winning the men’s marathon gold and the women’s fencing team taking gold in the foil event.