‘I felt embarrassed’: Japan esports whizz-kid, 11, wins Games gold

Kurihara 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 this year and regularly beats adults.

“It’s hard having to balance it with school and cram school, but it’s really fun,” he said ahead of the Games.

There are no publicly available records of youngest medallists in the history of the Asian Games, which were first contested in 1951.

But Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas won bronze in women’s skateboarding aged 12 in Jakarta in 2018.

Cui Chenxi, 13, won Games gold when she triumphed in the women’s street skateboarding event three years ago in Hangzhou.