An 11-year-old eSports star has become Japan’s youngest athlete at the Asian Games, beating opponents nearly three times his age in his native country on Thursday. Yuki Kurihara competes in Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game similar to Tetris developed in Japan, and he is now the Games’ youngest-ever competitor.
The Game and the Chain Reactions
Players aim to remove their screen of coloured blobs by arranging them so they line up and pop, setting off chain reactions known as ‘dairensa’. Kurihara defeated all four of his rivals to finish first in Group A and will now try to claim gold on Saturday.
The young person believes the finest sensation possible is victory, and he explained it to the Japan Times, saying “When I lose, I cry and try not to think about it too much. When the play doesn’t go well it’s not fun, so I want to quit. But I always come back.”.
“I hope to win a gold medal for Japan.”
A Record at Stake
Japan’s youngest athlete in Asian Games history could also become the competition’s youngest ever medallist. That record belongs to Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas, who won bronze in women’s skateboarding aged 12 in 2018.
The Asian Games have included eSports in their last two editions, and this year Puyo Puyo is one of 11 medal events on offer. The Games take place across Nagoya and the surrounding Aichi region, running from 19 September through 4 October.
The Eel Diet
Kurihara says he eats eel to prepare for contests. He secured his place on the Japan team at just 10 years old.
He won Sega’s Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final in February by beating an adult professional, then turned pro himself in April, two months before his 11th birthday.
What Comes Next
Kurihara will compete for gold on Saturday.
“When I lose, I cry and try not to think about it too much.”
The eel-powered 11-year-old making history is a story about determination. Kurihara has beaten opponents nearly three times his age, and he is chasing a gold medal that would make him the competition’s youngest ever medallist.
The Numbers Behind the Story
- Kurihara is 11 years old
- He beat opponents nearly three times his age
- Puyo Puyo Champions is one of 11 medal events this year
- The Games run from 19 September to 4 October
- Bunga Nyimas holds the youngest medallist record, aged 12 in 2018
Why This Matters
Kurihara’s path to the Games included beating an adult professional at Sega’s Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final in February. He turned pro in April, two months before his 11th birthday. Now he faces a field where some opponents are nearly three times his age.
Saturday’s gold medal match will determine if he earns the title of the youngest medallist in Asian Games history.
Source material: “The eel-powered 11-year-old making history,” the BBC.
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