“I’ve already achieved quite a lot” – The unusual reason why this 11-year-old ‘Puyo Puyo’ genius wants to be a train driver (Sports Kyunghyang, 2026.09.26)

“I’ve already achieved quite a lot” – The unusual reason why this 11-year-old ‘Puyo Puyo’ genius wants to be a train driver
Sports Kyunghyang
Talent is never ambiguous. 11-year-old Japanese gaming prodigy Yuki Kurihara has won a gold medal, setting a record as the youngest winner in Asian Games history. On the 26th, at the eSports ‘Puyo Puyo...’ competition held at the Tokoname Sky Expo Hall in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
In the Sports Kyunghyang article above, when asked if his mother dislikes him playing games for too long, Kurihara replied in an interview, “It’s not that; I’m just busy with academy homework.” Aside from gaming, his favorite sports are soccer and table tennis.
He also stated in an interview, "Kurihara doesn't dream of being a professional gamer, but a train driver. The reason is that 'I have already achieved quite a lot of what I wanted to achieve in Puyo Puyo.'"

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games eSports Puyo Puyo Champions held at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 26th, South Korea's Kang Dong-shin, who won the silver medal, is showing 11-year-old Japanese boy Yuki Kurihara, the gold medalist, how to pose for a photo with the medal. Photo = Yonhap News / Edaily

Japan's Yuki Kurihara (center) looks down at his gold medal during the award ceremony after winning the Asian Games eSports ‘Puyo Puyo Champions’ on the 26th. Yonhap News / Sports Kyunghyang

11-year-old Japan's Yuki Kurihara (second from left) poses on the podium after winning the gold medal in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games eSports ‘Puyo Puyo Champions’ final held at the Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 26th. On the left is Kang Dong-shin. AP Yonhap News / Kyunghyang Shinmun