Asian Games: Yu Zidi, Boonson rewarded for record-breaking campaigns

China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi and Thailand’s Puripol Boonson were named the female and male MVPs of the 2026 Asian Games. Both athletes won multiple gold medals and set or equalled Asian Games and Asian records

Nagoya: China’s 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi and Thailand’s sprinter Puripol Boonson were named the Female and Male Most Valuable Players, respectively, at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Sunday.

Yu and Boonson were rewarded for standout campaigns in which they combined multiple gold medals with a series of Asian Games and Asian records. Both athletes will receive USD 25,000 each from the OCA for their performances at the continental multi-sport event.

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Yu, who is only 13, emerged as one of the biggest stars of the Games after winning three individual gold medals in swimming. She topped the podium in the women’s 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, setting three Games Records and one Asian Record in the process.

Her first record-breaking performance came in the 200m butterfly on September 20, when she clocked 2:05.08 to set a new Games Record.

A day later, Yu produced an even bigger performance in the 200m individual medley. Her time of 2:06.10 established a Games Record and also lowered the Asian Record.

She completed her hat-trick of gold medals on September 23, winning the 400m individual medley in 4:28.56, another Games Record.

Boonson, meanwhile, dominated the men’s sprint events to claim a 100m-200m double for Thailand. The 20-year-old sprinter set four Asian Games Records and equalled an Asian Record during his campaign.

In the men’s 100m on September 25, Boonson stormed to gold in 9.90 seconds, improving the Asian Games Record of 9.91 that he had set in the semi-finals.

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 set the previous day and equalled the Asian Record.

Boonson also collected a silver medal as part of Thailand’s mixed 4x100m relay team, adding to a highly successful Games.

Tayyab Ikram, chair of the OCA MVP Awards Panel, said the selection process was difficult given the quality of performances across Aichi-Nagoya.

“The five members of the panel had a very difficult job selecting the Female and Male MVP of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. This is testament to the exceptional quality of the athletes and to the high level of competition throughout the Asian Games. Our two winners not only registered a series of Asian Games Records and Asian Records but also established themselves as Asian sports superstars around the world.

“We are convinced that their performances here at the Asian Games will be a stepping stone to greater things in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. They made a huge impact on the spectators and media at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and have time on their side to build on this success and win many more gold medals in the future.

“OCA would like to congratulate Yu Zidi, Puripol Boonson and all our Asian athletes for putting on a tremendous show at the 20th Asian Games and for providing sporting memories that will last a lifetime.”

Yu and Boonson now join an illustrious list of athletes to have received the OCA Asian Games MVP Award. Previous winners include Japan’s Koji Ito (1998), Kosuke Kitajima (2002 and 2014), China’s Park Tae-hwan (2006), Lin Dan (2010), China’s Rikako Ikee (2018) and Qin Haiyang, alongside Zhang Yufei, who were the respective male and female winners in 2022.

The five-member panel that selected the 2026 MVPs comprised Ikram, OCA Deputy Director General Vinod Kumar Tiwari, OCA Athletes Committee chair Ding Ning, OCA Sports Committee chair Song Luzeng and Jeremy Walker, editor of the OCA Sporting Asia Newsletter.

With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now on the horizon, the OCA believes the performances of Yu and Boonson could mark the beginning of even bigger international careers for two of Asia’s emerging sporting stars.