'Won the youngest gold medal in history' with 0 yen prize... What on earth is happening to the 11th-year-old prodigy [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

After setting a historic record as the youngest-ever gold medalist at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, an 11-year-old Japanese elementary school e-sports player is reportedly set to receive not a single yen in prize money from the association, sparking outrage across Japan.

Japanese media outlet 'Nikkan Sports' reported on the 26th that "Yuki Gurihara (11), the youngest member of the Japanese delegation, defeated South Korea's Dongshin Kang 10-2 in the e-sports Puyo Puyo finals to win gold," adding that "the Japan e-Sports Association is expected not to award Gurihara any prize money."

In the case of the Olympics, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) uniformly awards 5 million yen (approximately 45 million won) in prize money to all gold medalists. However, since there is no unified regulation for the Asian Games, each sports federation makes its own decision. For example, the Japan Athletics Federation has publicly announced it will award 1 million yen to gold medalists.

However, the Japan e-Sports Association, a general incorporated foundation registered as a domestic sports federation, has not established any specific regulations regarding prize money for this tournament. According to local reporting, officials indicated that no prize money will be awarded at this time. His affiliated team, Tokyo Verdi, has also not yet decided whether to provide any compensation. In contrast, Dongshin Kang, who won the silver medal after facing Gurihara in the finals, is reportedly set to receive prize money.

Gurihara, a fifth-grade elementary school student, far surpassed the record previously held by Indonesia's Nima Budha (who won bronze at age 12 in the women's street skateboarding event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games), becoming the youngest-ever medalist and gold medalist in Asian Games history. Immediately after the final match, during an official press conference, when asked what reward he would like to receive for his victory, Gurihara said, "I like shiny things. I really like jewelry and want to buy some." When further asked what kind of jewelry he wanted, he replied, "There are many options, but something blue would be nice," drawing widespread attention.

Upon learning that the gold medalist would receive no reward whatsoever, Japanese experts and netizens launched fierce criticism and called for institutional reforms.

On the portal site 'Yahoo Japan', e-sports specialist Manabu Okayas stated, "There has been an issue where minors' prize money in e-sports tournaments is invalidated. In overseas competitions, even if cash is not immediately paid to minors, it is often accumulated until they reach adulthood or used as tuition scholarships upon entering university, ensuring eventual payment." He added, "It remains unclear whether the reason for not awarding prize money is due to the game category or the player's age. If it is solely because of age, alternative measures should also be considered."

IT journalist Shuji Shinohara also pointed out Japan's outdated legal regulations. He noted, "When a game company hosts a tournament, prizes are classified as lottery items under the Prize Display Law, capping the amount at 100,000 yen. If entry fees are used as the source of prize money, there is a risk of being charged with gambling." He continued, "In overseas cases, for example, a 16-year-old player won $3 million at the 2019 Fortnite World Championship. The disparity in prize amounts directly affects the size of the competitive population. If promoted at the national level, the handling of prizes must be clearly defined through laws and guidelines."

Meanwhile, Gurihara, who became the first elementary school student to obtain a professional license last April, gained attention for his pure passion, practicing about two hours daily while declaring his dream was to become a train driver. However, due to Japan's inadequate compensation system in the sports sector and legal limitations, he found himself at the center of bitter controversy immediately after winning the gold medal.

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*This content was translated by AI.