Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Japan’s 11-Year-Old Holds Asian Games’ Youngest Gold Record
Yuki Kurihara is an 11-year-old esports player from Japan.
He won a gold medal in a game called Puyo Puyo Champions at the Asian Games.
In the final, he beat Kang Dongshin from South Korea by 10 games to 2.
Before that, he beat Tanarak Wongkitkun from Thailand.
The article says this makes Kurihara the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is 15, also won gold for India.
He is the youngest Indian to win an Asian Games gold medal overall.
But Saurabh Chaudhary remains the youngest Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Games.
Japan’s Yuki Kurihara, 11, won the Puyo Puyo Champions esports event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Kurihara defeated South Korea’s Kang Dongshin 10-2 in the final after beating Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun 10-1 in the semifinal.
The article identifies Kurihara as the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history.
India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15 years, 6 months and 6 days, is described as India’s youngest-ever Asian Games gold medallist.
Sooryavanshi surpassed Saurabh Chaudhary’s age record for Indian gold medallists overall, while Chaudhary remains the youngest Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold.
- Who
- Yuki Kurihara, an 11-year-old Japanese esports player, won gold; Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is identified as India’s youngest-ever Asian Games gold medallist.
- What
- Kurihara won the Puyo Puyo Champions esports event and was described as the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history.
- When
- At the Aichi-Nagoya Games; the article also says Kurihara received his professional esports licence in April 2026.
- Where
- The Aichi-Nagoya Games.
- Why
- Kurihara won the Puyo Puyo Champions event, defeating Kang Dongshin in the final.
Overall Indian age record
Individual Indian gold record
Which Indian holds the youngest-gold distinction?
Overall Indian age record
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is described as India’s youngest-ever Asian Games gold medallist overall.
Individual Indian gold record
Saurabh Chaudhary remains the youngest Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold medal.
- Kurihara’s age
- 11 years old
- Event
- Puyo Puyo Champions esports
- Final score
- Kurihara defeated Kang Dongshin 10-2
- Semifinal score
- Kurihara defeated Tanarak Wongkitkun 10-1
- Sooryavanshi’s age at gold
- 15 years, 6 months and 6 days
- Chaudhary’s age at gold
- 16 years, 3 months and 9 days at the 2018 Asian Games
- Kurihara’s professional licence
- The article says he received it in April 2026