WRC Announces 2020 Seating Quotas For Europe

Some long-awaited news is finally here! World Riichi Championship (WRC) has announced the European Mahjong Association (EMA) quota for WRC 2020: Vienna will be 70 seats.

The number is sure to put a smile on many a European players’ face as it far exceeds the initial 40 seats reported on the EMA website.

The total number of players is planned at 200.

Pricing

Rumors abound regarding the entrance cost and further details. Gemma Sakamoto of WRC has been able to confirm that the format is scheduled to be very similar to that of 2017. The price point is similar as well at 400 Euros (inclusive of VAT) for the five day tournament.

On the topic of the high price point, Gemma commented, “We will have a teaching event similar to 2017 for those players who don’t make the cut. We understand that this is a high cost for an event so we are looking for ways in which we can ensure value.“

Deadlines

Some deadlines are also available. 1st January 2020 is when the EMA quota system will be frozen and the number of seats fixed per country. These will be available on EMA’s site. A deadline of 29th February has been set for countries to submit their nominations to WRC (Gemma Sakamoto as contact point) and a payment deadline of 31st March 2020.

EMA players who believe themselves eligible to be nominated for one of these seats should initially contact their EMA representative or person delegated for quota purposes within their national organization.

Japan and Everyone Else

So where does that leave the rest of us? Gemma promises quotas for other countries will be announced over the coming weeks. Currently she is working through nominations for Japan, revealing nothing more than, “It’s going to be a tough field to win against.”