Eleven-year-old Yuki Kurihara from Japan secured the gold medal in esports for the game ‘Puyo Puyo Champions’ at the 20th Asian Games. Kurihara defeated South Korea’s Kang Dong-sin 10–2 in the final and Thailand’s Thanarak Wongkitkool 10–1 in the semifinal. She has become the youngest Japanese athlete to win a gold medal in Asian Games history. Kathmandu, October 10.
In the final held on Saturday in Aichi-Nagoya, Kurihara beat 24-year-old Kang Dong-sin of South Korea 10–2 to claim the gold medal. In the semifinals, she achieved a decisive 10–1 victory over 28-year-old Thanarak Wongkitkool of Thailand. ‘Puyo Puyo Champions’ is a popular puzzle video game where players connect colorful blocks to score points. Kurihara began playing the game in the first grade of elementary school and received professional approval to compete this April.
Although there is no official record for the youngest medalist in Asian Games esports, past young medal winners include 12-year-old Indonesian Bunga Nyimas, who won a bronze medal in skateboarding in 2018, and 13-year-old Chinese athlete Kui Chenxi, who won gold in 2023.
