（ECNS) -- 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.
Interestingly, two members of the championship-winning team, Wang Yu and Ge Rui, are alumni of Peking University.
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.
Wang Yu and Ge Rui, the Peking University duo, have 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."
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