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09/26 00:32 CDT 11-year-old Japanese player Yuki Kurihara wins esports gold
medal at the Asian Games
11-year-old Japanese player Yuki Kurihara wins esports gold medal at the Asian
Games
By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) --- Eel is his favorite training food, he's only 11 years
old, and he found his niche in his sport when he was in kindergarten.
His thing is esports.
Meet Yuki Kurihara, the Japanese elementary school student who defeated Kang
Dongshin of South Korea 10-2 on Saturday in the final of the Puyo Puyo
Champions puzzle game at the Asian Games.
He defeated Tanarak Wongkitikun of Thailand in the semifinals, 10-1. The Thai
player is a relative old-timer at 28.
Kurihara is believed to be youngest-ever gold medalist in the Asian Games,
which date from 1951 in New Delhi, India. And he's certainly the youngest in
these Asian Games.
Japanese media has reported he trains eight hours daily and still keeps up his
grades in school.
Esports was held in the Asian Games for the first time three years ago in
Hangzhou, China. It was so popular that tickets were sold by lottery. It's also
an audience favorite in Japan.
Youth is being served at the Asian Games. Kamus Wong is a 12-year-old competing
for Hong Kong in skateboarding, and 13-year-old Yu Zidi of China won three gold
medals in swimming.
A relative senior citizen, 17-year-old Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi set a world
record on Thursday in the 200-meter breaststroke.
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See full AP coverage of Asian sports here
