Kang Dong-shin (24), competing in the eSports "Puyo Puyo Champions" event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has claimed the silver medal after a hard-fought match against Japan's "gaming prodigy" Yuki Kurihara (11).

On September 26, in the final of the eSports "Puyo Puyo Champions" event held at the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan, Kang lost to Kurihara with a game score of 2:10.

Kang captured the opening game by striking before Kurihara could complete his signature large-scale chains, catching his opponent off guard with a surprise attack.

However, Kurihara, who had advanced to the finals after defeating seasoned adult powerhouses from across Asia, proved formidable.

Kurihara immediately fired back with a 15-chain in the second game, and in the third game, he countered Kang's offensive with a 10-chain to take the lead.

Kang cornered Kurihara by building a massive chain in the sixth game, but Kurihara calmly blocked the attack with counter-chains before pivoting to secure the victory.

In the subsequent games, Kurihara continued to unleash his specialty, massive chains, putting heavy pressure on Kang.

Driving Kang to a 9:2 match point, Kurihara swiftly clinched the final game to secure a 10:2 final score, becoming the youngest gold medalist in Asian Games history.

Earlier in the tournament, Kang defeated India's Paritosh 5:0 in the quarterfinals and Taiwan's Kuo Tzu-ang 10:3 in the semifinals.

Puyo Puyo Champions is a competitive puzzle game where players stack different colored "Puyo" blocks, clearing them by matching four of a kind to battle opponents.

Triggering chained explosions of stacked blocks sends "garbage Puyos" to the opponent's board, while allowing players to counter incoming attacks or launch counter-offensives through their own chains, making it a game of fierce tactical exchanges.

(Photo: Yonhap News)