The winner's prize money '男 200 million - 女 100 million' will be determined by the strongest player in professional baseball! PBA World Championship Opens

*This content was translated by AI.

The curtain has risen on the World Championship, which determines the strongest player of a professional baseball season.

The Professional Basketball Association (PBA, President Youngsoo Kim) held the opening ceremony of the Hana Card Hana Capital Jeju Special Self-Governing Province PBA-LPBA World Championship 2026 at Halla Gymnasium in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the afternoon of the 6th and began the competition in earnest.

The opening ceremony was attended by PBA Youngsoo Kim Governor, Vice President Jang Sang-jin, Hana Card Group Chairman Lee Wan-geun, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Oh Young-hoon, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Council Chairman Lee Sang-bong.

Hana Card and Hana Capital were in charge of the title sponsor of the World Championship. Hana Card has been hosting the tournament with the PBA for the fourth season since the 2022-23 season, and has hosted this World Championship for the first time. Hana Card Hana Pay, a professional team run by Hana Card, won the "Welcome Savings Bank PBA Team League 2025-2026," which ended in January, winning the team league twice for the first time and becoming a strong player.

"The World Championship is a stage where players who have shown their best skills in a season challenge their limits once again," said Hana Card Group Chairman Lee Wan-geun in a welcoming speech. "I hope that the three events will be the best of all time, with the festival of sharing the value and emotion of professional baseball together, the best competition, the best player, and the best fan."

Youngsoo Kim also said, "The World Championship is the stage for the final settlement of accounts that concludes the entire journey of the season, and it is the battlefield of kings where only players who are chosen for their skills and performance can stand," adding, "I hope that the players who stand on the best stage to finish the 2025-26 season will put all their abilities into a great game."

In the opening game of the World Championship, which began at 2 p.m. immediately after the opening ceremony of the tournament, Sakai Ayako (Japan, Hana Card) and Kim Min-ah (NH Nonghyup Card), Kang Ji-eun (SK Rent-a-Car), Park Jung-hyun (Harim), Kim Ye-eun (Welcome Savings Bank), Kim Se-yeon (Huons), and Kim Bo-ra and Choi Hye-mi (Welcome Savings Bank) will clash.

The World Championship is a "King of Kings" competition in which only players in the top 32 in the prize money rankings are given the right to participate after the regular tour of the season. The prize money for the championship is 200 million won for the PBA and 100 million won for the LPBA, with the total prize money of 600 million won. This is the largest in a single three-cushion competition.

As for the tournament method, 32 people will be divided into eight groups to play the group stage, and the first and second places in the group will advance to the round of 16, and the winner will be determined by the tournament. The LPBA final will be held at 4 p.m. on the 15th, and the PBA final will be held at 8:30 p.m. on the same night.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.