Yuki Kurihara Wins Gold Medal in “Puyo Puyo eSports”! TEAM JAPAN’s Youngest Player, Aged 11, Reaches the Top in Asia

In the " Puyo Puyo eSports " event at the " 20th Asian Games (2026, Aichi/Nagoya)," Japanese representative Yuki Kurihara won the gold medal.
Born in 2015, Kurihara, at 11 years old, became the youngest member of TEAM JAPAN to reach the top of Asian competition.

11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara Wins Gold Medal in "Puyo Puyo eSports"! Sets Record as Youngest Gold Medalist 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 (2026/Aichi-Nagoya) " have been taking place since Saturday, September 19, 2026, primarily in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.
Esports has been adopted as an official medal sport, with competitions held across 11 disciplines and 13 titles.

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, Yuki Kurihara ( @kryu_puyo ) of Tokyo Verdy eSports won the " Puyo Puyo eSports " event at the Games.
At just 11 years old, he became the youngest gold medalist in the history of the Games.

"Puyo Puyo eSports" is played as an individual competition using PCs.
Kurihara finished first in the group stage held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, and advanced to the knockout stage.

Yuki Kurihara is an 11-year-old “Puyo Puyo” pro player

Yuki Kurihara, who competes under the player name “Yuki,” is a “Puyo Puyo eSports” player born in 2015 and hailing from Tokyo.

To date, he has won the elementary school division of the“2024 SAGA National Prefectural eSports Championship ” in the Puyo Puyo category, as well as the open division of the “2025 SHIGA National Prefectural eSports Championship” in the Puyo Puyo category.
He has also claimed victory in the “GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Finals,” amassing numerous achievements at a young age.

Major Achievements

2024 SAGA National Prefectural eSports Championship – Puyo Puyo Division (Elementary School Division): Champion
2025 SHIGA National Prefectural eSports Championship – Puyo Puyo Division (Open Division): Champion
GigaCrysta Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Finals: Champion
20th Asian Games (2026, Aichi/Nagoya) – Puyo Puyo Esports: Gold Medal

At the “20th Asian Games (2026, Aichi/Nagoya),” he joined the Japanese national team at the age of 11, making him the youngest member of TEAM JAPAN.
At the TEAM JAPAN formation ceremony prior to the Games, Kurihara expressed his determination, saying, “I want to win so I can bring a gold medal back to TEAM JAPAN.” True to his word, he delivered a gold medal to Japan.

The esports competition at the "20th Asian Games (2026, Aichi/Nagoya)" is scheduled to run through Friday, October 2, 2026.
We look forward to seeing TEAM JAPAN’s future achievements.