Nagoya - The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya delivered another day of remarkable performances on September 26 and 27, with records shattered in archery and a primary school student becoming one of the youngest gold medalists in the history of the continental event.
Archery: Indian Sharpshooter Breaks Asian Games Record
Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara produced a stunning performance in the men's recurve qualification at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, shooting 698 points out of a possible 720 to break the Asian Games record and claim the top seed in the individual competition . The previous record of 690 points belonged to South Korea's Lee Woo .
Dhiraj was remarkably consistent, scoring 348 points in the opening half before raising his level to 350 from the final 36 arrows . His performance helped India secure the second seed in the men's recurve team qualification with a combined score of 2039 points, behind South Korea's 2064 .
In the women's compound qualification, India's Chikitha Taniparthi topped the individual standings with a score of 705 out of 720, coming within touching distance of the Asian Games record of 706 set by Chinese Taipei's Chen Yi-hsuan in 2018 .
Esports: 11-Year-Old Yuki Kurihara Wins Historic Gold
The standout story of the Games came from an unlikely source: Yuki Kurihara, an 11-year-old primary school student from Japan who won the gold medal in Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game where players clear their screen of colored blobs by lining them up .
Kurihara defeated South Korea's Kang Dongshin 10-2 in the final, having earlier crushed Thailand's Tanarak Wongkitikun 10-1 in the semifinals. The Thai player is a relative veteran at 28 years old .
Believed to be the youngest competitor at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Kurihara is the youngest athlete in host country Japan's Asian Games history . He obtained his professional license in April this year, becoming the first elementary school student to receive recognition from the Japan Esports Union .
"To be completely honest, I felt a bit embarrassed, so I couldn't really show my expressions or change my face much," Kurihara said after the final. "I'm really happy. The gold medal is really beautiful, shiny and heavy" .
His opponent praised his performance: "It's obvious that my opponent was skilled and above my level. His technical ability and accuracy are incredible," Kang said .
Esports Expands Across Asia
Kurihara's gold was just one part of a much larger esports programme at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The Olympic Council of Asia approved 11 medal events covering titles across PC, console, and mobile platforms, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile, Gran Turismo 7, and Pokémon UNITE .
The competition is being staged at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, running from September 23 through October 2 .
South Korea's Kim Young-chan won the bronze medal in Gran Turismo 7, the country's first esports medal at this year's competition. Malaysia's Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira took gold, while Saudi Arabia's Naif Abdulhakim S Alfaleh claimed silver .
Vietnam also made history with its first-ever esports medal at an Asian Games, a bronze in an unspecified event .
South Korea Eyes Baseball and Handball Gold
As the Games enter their final full week, South Korea is targeting its fifth consecutive baseball gold medal. The team, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun and composed of top stars from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), will face host country Japan in the final on Sunday at Toyohashi .
South Korea won all three preliminary games before losing 5-0 to Japan in the Super Round opener. They bounced back to beat China 9-2 on Saturday to book their spot in the final .
In women's handball, South Korea and Japan are the only undefeated teams entering their Sunday showdown, with both teams boasting five wins. South Korea lost to Japan 29-19 in the 2023 Asian Games final and will be seeking revenge .
China Dominates Medal Table
China continues to lead the medal standings with 107 gold, 41 silver, and 28 bronze as of September 26 . Japan sits second with 31 gold, 49 silver, and 49 bronze, while South Korea is third with 16 gold, 21 silver, and 36 bronze .
Thailand leads Southeast Asian nations with 8 gold medals, placing sixth overall. Uzbekistan (8 gold) and Kazakhstan (8 gold) round out the top five .
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