‘Godlike, invincible’: Japan hails 11-year-old eSports history-maker at Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan – Japan celebrated a “godlike” new sporting hero on Sept 27 with 11-year-old eSports whizz-kid Yuki Kurihara’s face splashed across newspaper front pages after he won a historic Asian Games gold.

The primary school student crushed the competition on home soil in Nagoya, beating players almost three times his age.

He romped to a 10-2 victory in the final of Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game where players try to clear their screen of coloured blobs by lining them up and popping them.

It made him the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history and Japan’s newest sporting star.

“Eleven-year-old gold!” screamed a headline in Japan’s Sports Hochi newspaper.

“Miracle 15-chain combo in the final!”

Kurihara, who does not turn 12 until June 2027, is Japan’s youngest athlete in Asian Games history.

He says he likes to eat eel before competitions and that his dream is to become a train driver.

He said he felt “embarrassed” after winning gold on Sept 26, but noted that his medal was “really beautiful, shiny and heavy”.

He showed little emotion during the competition, locking in with a poker face and maintaining his cool even when he clinched victory.

“The invincible fifth-grader made it all the way to the summit of Asia,” said the Sports Nippon newspaper.

“He even yawned before starting the match.”

The article praised his “godlike” play after coming back from 1-0 down to win the final in style.

Kurihara’s dominant win was Japan’s first Asian Games gold in eSports.

He started playing Puyo Puyo in his first year of primary school and soon started competing and winning in tournaments.

He obtained his pro licence in April 2026 and regularly beats adults.

Asked how he would spend any Asian Games prize money, he said: “I like sparkly things so I want to buy some gemstones.