The posters and other promotional literature used at the International Championship tournament featured as well as players involved the prominent legend ‘Fight To The End’.
In fact this was more than just a cheesy slogan, but a nod to Mah Jong – the Chinese game using tiles to make sets and played at lightning pace - think bridge on speed - on many street corners in Chengdu, where the pastime has a particularly strong following.
Mah Jong in the Chengdu region is played by different rules – meaning the hand is not over when the first player wins and goes out, but the rest scrap it out for second, third and fourth.
According to the ever-reliable World Snooker press officer Tai Chengzhe, China are still reeling from coming 34th in the team event of their traditional game at an international tournament staged recently in Europe.
You can only imagine that the real pros, the hustlers creating a deafening clacking of bamboo and ivory pieces out on the street, were not involved.