11-year-old Japanese player wins first esports gold for country at Asian Games
Japan’s 11-year-old Yuki Kurihara, the youngest member of the national team, has won the puzzle game final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, securing Japan’s first esports gold medal at the continental competition, Qazinform News Agency learned from Kyodo.
Kurihara defeated Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitikun in the semifinals before beating South Korea’s Kang Dong Shin 10-2 in the Puyo Puyo Champions final in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture.
Kurihara, a fifth-grade student, said at a news conference: “I was very happy to win because there were many spectators supporting and cheering for me. It was a really nice atmosphere."
Esports was introduced as a medal event at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Kurihara began playing the puzzle game at the age of six after receiving Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 as a Christmas present.
Several years later, he began competing in tournaments and won an official competition organized by the game’s publisher, which attracted adult players from Japan and abroad.
In April, Kurihara became the first elementary school student to obtain a professional license recognized by the Japan Esports Union.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Kholmogorov claimed a bronze medal at the XX Asian Summer Games canoe sprint competition.