COPENHAGEN - She has just come back to Copenhagen from her trip to China, and here she is, already packing again. Tina Christensen, president of the European Mahjong Association, is preparing for a tough working week at the Climate Conference in Durban. She has a 21 hours journey to South Africa ahead of her. So, not much time to tell Mahjong News about the Fifth China Majiang Championship on board a cruise ship in the Yangtze river she participated in last week. That will come later; she will be back in Denmark on December 5th. But one thing she can tell: the next World Mahjong Championship will take place next year in China for sure. Likely in November, but neither date nor place is decided yet. “I have stressed that it is crucial for European players to know these facts very soon.”

Surprised

Tina is a bit surprised about her interview with the Chinese website Daily News, re-published in Mahjong News. “On the sigtseeing trip through the little three gorges, we were interviewed by a journalist of China Daily. I must say that I do not recognize much of what I am quoted for. For instance, I did not advocate a fixed standard for tiles, there has been no hearing of EMA in the matter as the article claims. But with such a wide range as 32-42 mm, this standard is hardly a restriction for organizers.

“I was quoted for having said that it is too bad that most Europeans learn mahjong from Japanese comics or from playing video games, but I only said that the young players we recruit to our club these days, very often know the game from Japanese pop culture and I think that is great of course! I hope no one has taken offense of the quote which is definitely not anything I said.

“The journalist also confused the information I gave on Danish tournaments with information regarding European tournaments in general. Anyway, it is good that there is some mentioning of mahjong in both China and Europe in China Daily."”