11-year-old Yuki Kurihara claims Asian Games esports gold medal for Japan

The Road Through the Group Stage

Before the medal matches began, Yuki Kurihara had already made his presence felt in the group stage of the Puyo Puyo Champions event at the Asian Games 2026. The Japanese competitor dropped only a single set across the entire group phase — and remarkably, the only player who managed to take that set from him was South Korea's Kang Dongshin, the very opponent he would eventually face again on the biggest stage.

Kurihara and Kang crossed paths once in the group stage, where Kurihara won the match 3-1 despite conceding that one set. The result set up what would become a recurring storyline between the two players.

The Final: A Decisive 10-2

When the two met again in the gold-medal final, the outcome was far less contested. Kurihara defeated Kang Dongshin 10-2, closing out the match decisively and leaving no room for the kind of comeback the group-stage encounter had hinted at.

The Significance of the Win

The victory carries weight beyond one match: Kurihara's gold is the first esports gold medal for Japan at the Asian Games. For an 11-year-old, winning an international multi-sport competition title — against a player who had already proven capable of taking sets off him — marks one of the most striking results of the esports program at the 2026 Games.

Where Things Stand

With the group stage behind him and a 10-2 final to his name, Kurihara has completed his run at the Asian Games 2026 as champion. His head-to-head record against Kang now stands at two wins across the tournament, and Japan enters the record books with its first esports gold at the competition.