Japan on Sunday celebrated 11-year-old eSports prodigy Yuki Kurihara after he won a historic Asian Games gold medal, with his face splashed across newspaper front pages.

The primary school student dominated the competition on home soil in Nagoya, beating players almost three times his age.

He romped to a 10-2 victory in the final of Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game in which players clear coloured blobs from their screens by lining them up and popping them.

Kurihara became the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history and Japan’s newest sporting star.

“Eleven-year-old gold!” screamed a headline in Sports Hochi newspaper.

“Miracle 15-chain combo in the final!” it added.

Kurihara, who will turn 12 next June, is Japan’s youngest athlete in Asian Games history.

He said he likes to eat eel before competitions and dreams of becoming a train driver.

After winning gold on Saturday, he said he felt “embarrassed” but described his medal as “really beautiful, shiny and heavy”.

Kurihara showed little emotion during the competition, maintaining a poker face and keeping his composure even after clinching victory.

“The invincible fifth-grader made it all the way to the summit of Asia,” Sports Nippon newspaper said.

“He even yawned before starting the match,” it added.

The newspaper praised his “godlike” play after he came from 1-0 down to win the final in style.

Kurihara’s dominant victory gave Japan its first Asian Games gold in eSports.

He started playing Puyo Puyo in his first year of primary school and soon began competing in and winning tournaments.

He obtained his professional licence in April this year and regularly beats adult players.

Asked how he would spend his Asian Games prize money, he said: “I like sparkly things so I want to buy some gemstones.

“I like blue ones.”