Mahjong extends global reach as Canada hosts world championship

Not even a painful knee could deter 83-year-old Deng Wenfeng from competing in the 7th World Mahjong Championship, which was held recently in North America for the first time.

Deng was the oldest player at the tournament, where she was affectionately called "Mahjong Grandma", and drew the attention of many contestants and spectators.

The championship was held in Mississauga, Canada, from Oct 11 to 14. Hosted by the World Mahjong Organization and organized by the Canada MCR(mahjong competition rules) Sports Association, the event brought together mahjong masters from around the world.

Mahjong is a game that originated in China in the 19th century. Typically, it is played by four people with 144 tiles. The tiles are drawn and discarded until one player gets a winning hand.

Deng even postponed knee surgery to participate.

"This is my third time participating in a World Mahjong Championship. I will never miss the opportunity to participate in the competition," she said with a smile. She took painkillers to ease the pain in her knee, and played her games standing on crutches.