Amidst a flurry of golden confetti, another exhilarating event for the youth came to an end. On July 6th, the 2024 “E-Champions League” Zhejiang Province E-Sports Tournament, organized by the China Sports Lottery in Zhejiang, concluded successfully at the Hangzhou E-Sports Center. Serving as a precursor to the German-hosted UEFA Champions League final, the exciting matches allowed football fans and e-sports enthusiasts to experience the thrill of a virtual European Cup tournament.
Deputy Director of Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau, Liao Hongyu, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Sports Lottery Management Center, Wang Zhenzhang, Deputy Director of the Department of Sports Economy of Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau, Lu Wenrong, Deputy District Mayor of Hangzhou’s Gongshu District, Jia Yuanyuan, Head of the Leadership Group for the Zhejiang Electronic Sports Association’s election, Li Qing, Deputy Director of Zhejiang Provincial Sports Lottery Management Center, Ying Jin, and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of Hangzhou’s Gongshu District Cultural, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, Jin Chengwu, were among the attending leaders and guests who launched the finals.
A dynamic breakdancing performance kicked off the finals. As both breakdancing and e-sports were newly added events at last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games, they intersected once again after a year. This tournament was also the first major comprehensive e-sports event held at the Hangzhou E-Sports Center following the Asian Games.
Wang Zhenzhang stated that the Zhejiang Sports Lottery seized the opportunity of the German-hosted UEFA Champions League, using “e-sports +” as a tool to build a competition platform and conduct events, creating new social interaction scenarios online and offline. Since the online selection began on May 28th, it attracted e-sports enthusiasts from across the province. The promotional campaign for this tournament covered over 11,500 lottery retail stores and nearly 100 universities across the province. The competition featured football games, aligning with the lottery’s unique betting games, encouraging participants to engage in UEFA Champions League football match predictions and participate in the lottery’s micro-charity initiatives, spreading positive sports charity energy.
The 2024 “E-Champions League” Zhejiang Province E-Sports Tournament was hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Lottery Management Center. With the theme “E-Champions League,” the aim was to combine the meaning of Esports with the traditional major sports event IP of the UEFA Champions League. The tournament featured two games: “FC Online” and “Honor of Kings.” Contestants, through online qualifiers, formed 24 national team fan clubs representing teams in the UEFA Champions League, competing offline in regional and final matches for a total prize pool of over 100,000 RMB.
After a day of intense competition, two teams emerged victorious, showcasing excellent teamwork and precise gameplay. Ultimately, the Italian Fan Team claimed the championship with a 3-1 aggregate score, winning a 20,000 RMB prize. The Serbian and Belgian Fan Teams secured second and third places, respectively. Zhu Jianqiang, the champion of the previous tournament, represented the Serbian Fan Team at the e-sports center. Commenting on this year’s competition, he noted the increased intensity, saying, “Compared to last year, the level of players has risen. You can tell from many friends wanting to participate in the registration. Also, having the final at the Asian Games e-sports venue gave us non-professional e-sports enthusiasts a similar experience to the athletes, which was truly valuable.”
