Representing Japan, Yuki Kurihara captured the gold medal in the esports competition for Puyo Puyo Champions at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Born in 2015, Kurihara stood atop Asia at just 11 years old as the youngest competitor on TEAM JAPAN.
11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara Wins Gold in Puyo Puyo Champions! Youngest Record in Tournament History
🏆愛知・名古屋アジア大会/eスポーツ
【ぷよぷよeスポーツ】
栗原 悠輝選手が、見事金メダルを獲得しました🥇✨
たくさんの応援本当にありがとうございました！！
🥇🇯🇵 🥈🇰🇷 🥉🇹🇭＆TPE#ぷよぷよ#愛知名古屋2026#TEAMJAPAN#ともに一歩踏み出す勇気を pic.twitter.com/OYG1crNEKM— 日本eスポーツ協会(JESU) (@JeSUofficial) September 26, 2026
The 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 has been underway since Saturday, September 19, 2026, centered around Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City.
Esports is officially featured as a medal sport, with competitions taking place across 11 events and 13 titles.
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, in the Puyo Puyo Champions competition at the Games, Yuki Kurihara (@kryu_puyo) of Tokyo Verdy eSports seized victory in spectacular fashion.
At just 11 years of age, Kurihara earned the gold medal as the youngest champion in tournament history.
Puyo Puyo Champions was contested as an individual singles tournament on PC.
Kurihara advanced to the final championship bracket after finishing in first place in the group stage held on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Yuki Kurihara Is an 11-Year-Old Professional Puyo Puyo Player
Competing under the handle Yuuki, Yuki Kurihara is a native of Tokyo born in 2015 who competes as a professional Puyo Puyo Champions player.
Kurihara has built an illustrious competitive record from an early age, winning both the Elementary School Division at the All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA and the Open Division at the All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2025 SHIGA in the Puyo Puyo category.
Furthermore, Kurihara claimed victory at the GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Finals, demonstrating outstanding skill on the national stage.
Major Tournament Results
- All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA, Puyo Puyo Category (Elementary School Division): 1st Place
- All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2025 SHIGA, Puyo Puyo Category (Open Division): 1st Place
- GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Finals: 1st Place
- 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Puyo Puyo Champions: Gold Medal
At the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Kurihara joined Japan's national delegation as the youngest member of TEAM JAPAN at just 11 years old.
During the pre-tournament TEAM JAPAN send-off ceremony, Kurihara declared, "I want to win the championship so I can bring a gold medal home for TEAM JAPAN"—and delivered on that promise by bringing gold back to Japan.
The esports competition at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 runs through Friday, October 2, 2026.
Be sure to keep watching for more standout performances from TEAM JAPAN.
金メダルうおおおお！！！！
応援ありがとうございました！🥺
ぷよらーありがとう！ ゆうき https://t.co/LBhODCOJSZ— ゆうき (@kryu_puyo) September 26, 2026
