The Asian Games have found two new superstars.China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi and Thailand’s 20-year-old sprinting powerhouse Puripol Boonson were named the Female and Male Most Valuable Players of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Sunday.The pair were rewarded for spectacular campaigns in which they combined multiple gold medals with a string of Asian Games and Asian records, emerging as two of the brightest young stars of the continental showpiece.Yu and Boonson will each receive USD 25,000 from the OCA for their performances.
Yu Zidi: Teen sensation makes history
Yu was one of the breakout stars of Aichi-Nagoya, winning three individual gold medals at just 13 years of age and becoming the youngest MVP in Asian Games history.Her golden run began in the women’s 200m butterfly, where she clocked 2:05.08 on September 20 to set a new Games Record.A day later, she produced an even more impressive performance in the women’s 200m individual medley. Her time of 2:06.10 set a new Games Record and lowered the Asian Record.Yu completed her hat-trick on September 23, winning the women’s 400m individual medley in 4:28.56, another Games Record.Three events, three golds and four records made the Chinese teenager one of the defining faces of the Games.
Yu Zidi of China (AP Photo)
Boonson: Thailand’s sprint king
If Yu ruled the pool, Boonson owned the track.The 20-year-old Thai sprinter stormed to a 100m-200m double, setting four Asian Games Records and equalling an Asian Record during his campaign.In the men’s 100m, Boonson first broke the Games Record with 9.91 seconds in the semifinal before going even faster in the final, clocking 9.90 seconds to claim gold on September 25.Two days later, he completed the sprint double in the 200m. His winning time of 19.88 seconds broke his own Games Record of 20.10 seconds and equalled the Asian Record.He also added a silver medal in Thailand’s mixed 4x100m relay, further underlining his impact in Aichi-Nagoya.
Thailand’s Puripol Boonson celebrates after winning the men’s 200m final. (Reuters Photo)
Stars with Los Angeles in sight
The OCA MVP Awards Panel said the selection was particularly difficult because of the exceptional quality of performances across the Games.Tayyab Ikram, chair of the five-member panel, said Yu and Boonson had established themselves as “Asian sports superstars” and backed them to achieve even greater success at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.Their selection places them alongside a distinguished list of previous Asian Games MVPs, including Japan’s Koji Ito and Kosuke Kitajima, China’s Lin Dan and Rikako Ikee, and the 2022 winners Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei.For Yu, still only 13, and Boonson, at 20, Aichi-Nagoya could prove to be only the beginning. The Asian Games gave the continent two spectacular new stars — and a glimpse of what could lie ahead on the Olympic stage.
