Introducing the USPML – the U.S. Pro Mahjong League!
I’m Charlyn Gee, from the newly founded United States Pro Mahjong League (USPML).
The USPML is a new organization for Riichi mahjong players in America. We are creating the first U.S. league system for Riichi mahjong — with standardized rules, tournaments, rankings, and more. We also want to increase awareness of the game and attract new players, and to forge a large and active national community of people who love to play.
One of our main goals is to introduce mahjong to other Americans. We love mahjong, and think there are many people in the U.S. who would enjoy it as well. When we started playing, it was still difficult to learn about Riichi mahjong, even though we were already interested! So we want to clear the path for others who want to learn, and help to provide plenty of resources for them. Helping people learn to play is a critical part of bringing the game to them. Additionally, to create more play opportunities for both new and experienced players, we are planning a regular event schedule of U.S.-based meetups and tournaments.
Another key goal is to add the excitement of competitive play to Riichi mahjong in America, by forming a league with seasons, tournaments and rankings. Tournaments will allow players to demonstrate their skills and compete with others from around the country while tracking their performance over time with a centralized ranking system. As an official league, we can also represent the United States in the international Riichi mahjong world, and become more involved with this already strong global community.
We want to reach out to you existing players as we work to get the league up and running. If you’re in the United States and you play Riichi mahjong, we’d love to hear from you! We are headquartered in New York City, where we’ll be holding our first events starting in January 2010.
The USPML will be doing a monthly column here on ReachMahjong, where we’ll share league news and developments, and discuss various mahjong-related topics.
Please also visit our website at www.uspml.com to stay informed and get involved.
Charlyn Gee is in charge of operations for the USPML
