11-year-old esports prodigy wins gold and rival’s praise at the Asian Games
Por Amlan Chakraborty — – World RSS Feed
11-year-old esports prodigy wins gold and rival’s praise at the Asian Games
Yuki Kurihara trains eight hours a day and still keeps up his grades in school, according to Japanese media
Amlan Chakraborty Saturday 26 September 2026 14:36 BST
- Bookmark
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks
Close popover
open image in gallery
Become an Independent member to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.
Already a member?
Log in
Your support helps us to tell the story
Read more Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference. Read more
Japanese 11-year-old esports phenomenon Yuki Kurihara captured puzzle gold — alongside generous compliments from his rival — at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday.
The glasses-wearing prodigy made quick work of South Korea’s Kang Dong Shin, winning 10-2 in Puyo Puyo Champions at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall, sounding like an average youth only after his victory.
Yuki trains eight hours a day and still keeps up his grades in school, Japanese media has reported. His favorite training food is eel and he found his niche in his sport when he was in kindergarten.
“I’m really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy,” Yuki said. “Also, the plush toy is super cute, and it’s cool that it is gold-coloured too.”
“In the final, I was able to play against the opponent I wanted to face the most, who was also very strong,” he added.
open image in galleryYuki had swept his group-stage fixtures to place first in Group A before bringing that form into the knockout stage, shutting out Singapore’s Justin Koh Mun June 5-0 and defeating Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitikun 10-1 to reach the final.
“Looking back at the match, it’s a bit frustrating,” silver medalist Kang said.
“It’s obvious that my opponent was skilled and above my level, but towards the end I didn’t get the Puyo colours I needed, which led to the loss, so that part feels a bit regrettable.
“I was being cautious because Kurihara is extremely good at making large chain reactions. His technical ability and accuracy are incredible.
“I’m going to eat something delicious today.”
open image in galleryKurihara is believed to be the youngest-ever gold medalist in the Games, which began in 1951 in New Delhi, India.
Esports was added to the Asian Games for the first time three years ago in Hangzhou, China, where it was so popular that tickets were dolled out by lottery. It’s an audience favorite in Japan as well.
More about
Most popular
Popular videos
Bulletin
Read next
Fonte: – World RSS Feed
