At 11, Yuki Kurihara wins Asian Games gold with a 10–2 final
Japan’s Puyo Puyo player followed a 10–1 semi-final win with another decisive result.
Yuki Kurihara won Puyo Puyo Champions gold for Japan on 26 September at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The 11-year-old beat South Korea’s Kang Dongshin 10–2 in the final after falling 1–0 behind, AFP reports.
He had reached the final by defeating Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun 10–1. Those two scores show how convincingly he finished the tournament against older opponents.
A competitive record before the medal
Japan’s Olympic Committee had already reported that Kurihara finished first in his group on 24 September. Its profile traces his interest in the game to a Christmas gift of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 when he was six.
JESU lists him under the player name Yuuki, with Tokyo Verdy Esports as his team. His listed achievements include winning the GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final, giving his Asian Games appearance an established competitive background.
What makes Puyo Puyo competitive?
Players arrange coloured pieces to clear them in connected chains. SEGA’s game supports competitive multiplayer, tournament tools and annotated replays. For viewers discovering the title through Kurihara, the sequences of clears offer a starting point for understanding the action.
Sources
- AFP via CNA: gold medal and final-day scores
- Japan Olympic Committee: group-stage result and playing background
- JESU: official player profile and esports venue
- SEGA: Puyo Puyo Champions features
Checked on 27 September 2026, Malaysia time. The final took place on 26 September. No claim is made that he is the youngest gold medallist in the entire history of the Asian Games.