press release:
For anyone who says Pokémon was a late-90s fad, the thousands of die-hard fans of all ages who gathered en masse in San Diego this weekend for the 2011 Pokémon World Championship Tournament might beg to differ. Kids from all over the world are buzzing about the recently crowned Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) World David Cohen of West Seattle.

David, who is 16 years old, was one of more than 400 Pokémon players from over 27 countries who competed in the 2011 Pokémon World Championships in San Diego, California on August 13 and 14th. After combating in a fierce two-day competition of one-on-one Trading Card Game (TCG) battles, 10 rounds of game play, and over 16 hours of tournament playtime, David crushed his competition, fellow Seattle native Ross Cawthon (age 22), and was crowned the Master Division TCG World Champion.

Because the Pokémon TCG Worlds tournament is an invitation-only event, David battled TCG Organized Play events throughout the entire 2011 season, including events at the city, regional, state and national levels.

More than 400 players from over 27 countries competed in the annual event. Winners of the invite-only tournament received medals, trips, Pokémon merchandise, and collectively more than $100,000 in scholarships. The event showcased the chief qualities of Pokémon Trading Card Game and video game players: skill, strategy, creativity, sportsmanship, and fun.

“The Pokémon World Championships is more than a tournament; it’s a global event for our entire community to compete, have fun, and create lifelong friendships,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “It’s been an incredible weekend, and we couldn’t be happier to congratulate this year’s World Champions for their dedication, their unbelievable talent, and most importantly, their sportsmanship during the entire Play! Pokémon season.”
Pokémon is celebrating a blockbuster year in 2011 with the launch of the best-selling Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games; a brand-new trading card game expansion, Pokémon TCG: Black & White; an all-new season of animation, Pokémon: Black and White; and the debut of the hit movie, Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions.

To view the results of the 2011 Pokémon World Championships, including official standings, photos, videos, and player interviews, visit www.pokemonworldchampionships.com .