11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara Claims Esports Gold at Asian Games

Nagoya, Japan – Eleven-year-old Yuki Kurihara of Japan captured a gold medal in esports at the Asian Games on Saturday, defeating South Korea's Kang Dongshin 10-2 in the Puyo Puyo Champions final.

Kurihara, who reportedly discovered his passion for esports in kindergarten and favors eel as a training food, expressed his delight with the victory. "I'm really happy," he said. "The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy." He also noted his appreciation for the accompanying mascot doll, describing it as "super cute" and its gold coloring as "cool."

Kang, a 28-year-old competitor from South Korea, acknowledged Kurihara's superior skill. "It's obvious that my opponent was skilled and above my level," Kang stated. "His technical ability and accuracy are incredible."

Kurihara is believed to be the youngest gold medalist in the history of the Asian Games, which began in 1951. Japanese media reports indicate he maintains an intensive training schedule of eight hours daily while still succeeding in his academic studies.

Esports made its debut at the Asian Games three years ago in Hangzhou, China, and has since gained considerable popularity. The event was a crowd favorite in Japan and saw tickets sold by lottery in its inaugural year.

The Asian Games have showcased a trend of young athletes excelling across various disciplines. Twelve-year-old Kamus Wong is competing for Hong Kong in skateboarding, and 13-year-old Yu Zidi from China has already won three gold medals in swimming. Even among swimmers, 17-year-old Shin Ohashi of Japan set a world record in the 200-meter breaststroke earlier in the week.