The 2024 Global Mahjong Championship League (GMCL) China Finals
The 2024 Global Mahjong Championship League (GMCL) China finals concluded in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on Tuesday, with Sichuan Panda Team defeating Shandong Blue Whale Team to claim the championship.
This year's GMCL China attracted participation from over a hundred clubs, with a total of 1,796 preliminary matches held. Ultimately, 16 elite teams qualified to compete in the five-day intellectual showdown in Hangzhou. The event set a new record for the influence of mahjong as a sport, drawing over 300 million viewers through professional live broadcasts.
Interestingly, two members of the championship-winning team, Wang Yu and Ge Rui, are alumni of Peking University. The duo has known each other for a long time, and their strong rapport laid a solid foundation for their championship victory. Wang also revealed that their team includes nine students from Peking University and two alumni from Tsinghua University, making it a notably high-educated team.
In recent years, over 5.2 million players have registered as professional mahjong athletes, with more than 50,000 transitioning from casual to competitive play. Li Wenlong, secretary-general of the International Mahjong Federation, said, "The players are not only competitors but also promoters of the internationalization of this sport.
6 Comments
Habibi
The GMCL is doing a great job of promoting mahjong around the world.
ZmeeLove
The players are probably just cheating anyway. How can you tell who's actually winning?
Muchacho
I'd rather watch paint dry than watch someone play mahjong.
Coccinella
Mahjong is just another example of how people are becoming more and more isolated from each other. They'd rather sit at home and play a game than go out and interact with other people.
Africa
It's great to see mahjong getting the recognition it deserves as a sport.
KittyKat
This is just another way for the rich to get richer. The poor can't afford to play mahjong professionally.