Eleven-year-old Japanese schoolboy Yuki Kurihara captured a gold medal in the eSports event Puyo Puyo Champions on Saturday at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, standing out as the youngest competitor at the competition. Kurihara, known for his fondness for eel as a pre-match ritual, overcame an initial deficit to secure a 10-2 victory in the final, defeating opponents more than three times his age. Upon receiving his medal, he expressed both pride and a touch of embarrassment at the attention.
Despite moments of individual success, the Games have been marked by noticeable empty seats and underwhelming attendance figures across several sports. Organizers revealed that ticket sales for disciplines including football and the closing ceremony had not surpassed 60 percent, with a significant number of tickets allotted to sponsors and other stakeholders remaining unused. Satoshi Murate, secretary-general of the Games organizing committee, acknowledged the disappointment, attributing some absences to scheduling conflicts and other factors beyond their control. He also apologized for transport and accommodation issues that caused delays for some athletes.
In weightlifting, the Asian Games witnessed the setting of three additional world records, bringing the total to twelve during the event. North Korea’s Ri Won Ju continued his country’s strong performance by claiming the men’s 70kg gold with a new clean and jerk world record of 198 kilograms and a total lift of 349 kilograms. Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto secured silver after setting a snatch record but falling short in the overall total.
Japanese athlete Ichitaka Yamashita triumphed in the men’s marathon, breaking away from competitors with six kilometers remaining and finishing in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 49 seconds. He beat India’s Sawan Barwal and China’s Feng Peiyou, who took second and third place respectively. On the women’s side, Bahrain’s Shitaye Habte gained an Asian Games gold medal 16 years after winning silver in the 10,000 meters at the Guangzhou Games. Habte, a mother of three, finished the marathon in 2:27:31, narrowly outpacing China’s Ciren Cuomu and Japan’s Mikuni Yada. Reflecting on her career, Habte indicated she is considering retirement but plans to compete at the 2027 World Championships.
The Games were also marred by a second doping violation as Turkmenistan’s Dayanch Keletliyev tested positive for meldonium following an out-of-competition test conducted on September 20. Keletliyev was eliminated from the karate kumite tournament the following day.
In women’s basketball, South Korea upset hosts Japan 75-70 to claim their fourth Asian Games gold and first since 2014. The final at Nagoya’s Aichi International Arena saw the Korean team establish an early lead and withstand a late Japanese rally backed by a passionate home crowd. Lee Hae-ran led South Korea with 24 points, while Haru Owaki top-scored for Japan with 23. China secured the bronze medal after defeating Taiwan 77-64. The Chinese squad, featuring 7-foot-4 teenager Zhang Ziyu, fell to South Korea in the semifinals, ending their quest for an eighth straight title.