11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara Becomes Youngest Asian Games Gold Medalist

Eleven-year-old Puyo Puyo Champions player Yuki Kurihara has become the youngest gold medalist in Asian Games history after winning Japan's esports event at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

Kurihara defeated South Korea's Kang Dongshin 10-2 in the final on September 26. The Olympic Council of Asia confirmed that the victory made the Japanese fifth-grader the youngest champion across every edition of the Asian Games. His win also delivered Japan's first Asian Games gold medal in esports.

Kang took the opening set of the final, but the early advantage did not last. Kurihara won the next five sets to move 5-1 ahead before Kang responded in the seventh set. Kurihara then closed the match without dropping another set, winning five straight to complete the 10-2 victory.

The title followed an unbeaten group-stage run for Kurihara, who finished first in his group on September 24 to advance to the final phase. Japan had selected him as its sole representative for the Puyo Puyo Champions competition.

Kurihara was born on June 18, 2015 and competes for Tokyo Verdy Esports. He was Japan's youngest athlete at the 2026 Asian Games, but his selection came after several established competitive results in Puyo Puyo.

His record before the Games included winning the GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final and the open division of the National Prefectural Esports Championship 2025 SHIGA. A year earlier, he had also won the elementary school division of the national competition.

Kurihara began playing Puyo Puyo at six after receiving Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 as a Christmas present, according to the Japanese Olympic Committee. Before the Asian Games, he said adapting to the faster attacks used by overseas opponents would be one of the main challenges he expected to face.

Puyo Puyo Champions was contested by players representing 12 National Olympic Committees at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. It was one of 11 esports medal events held at Aichi Sky Expo between September 23 and October 2.

Esports first appeared at the Asian Games as a demonstration event in 2018 before becoming an official medal sport at the Hangzhou Games. Aichi-Nagoya expanded the program to include titles such as League of Legends, Pokémon Unite, Street Fighter, Tekken, PUBG Mobile, and Puyo Puyo Champions.