Central American Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game World Championship Qualifier Winners Announced

JOSE LAGUNEZ AND IVAN ENRIQUE DE JESUS JOIN THE RANKS OF THE ELITE TO REPRESENT CENTRAL AMERICA AT THE Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN ITALY

El Segundo, CA (July 7, 2014) – This past weekend the top Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) Duelists from Central America gathered in Guadalajara, Mexico in hopes of achieving the ultimate title, that of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Central American Champion. After two days of make or break Dueling, Jose Lagunez and Ivan Enrique de Jesus were crowned Champions at the Central American World Championship Qualifier (WCQ). Hosted by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI), this premier-level event provided the opportunity for Duelists to earn the right to represent Central America at the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship in Rimini, Italy on August 9th – 10th.

The Central American WCQ showcased the expert level of play by Central America's best Duelists but it was 20-year-old Lagunez, from Mexico D.F., Mexico, that proved he had the best strategy and skill and, combined with a powerful Mermail Deck, the winning combination during Sunday's Championship Round against 29-year-old Filiberto Octavio Parra, from Aguascalientes, Mexico playing his trusted Geargia Deck. The victory earned Lagunez the privilege of representing Central America at the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship as 2014 Central American WCQ Champion. He won a trip to Rimini, Italy, a spectacular set of prizes that include complete sets of Legacy of the Valiant and Primal Origin, two Super Rare copies of the YCS Prize Card, Number 106: Giant Hand, a 64GB iPad, a personalized Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship jersey to be awarded at the World Championship, and 24 Booster Packs from recent sets.

Ivan Enrique de Jesus made his hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic proud with a spectacular win over his young peers to earn the coveted title of Central American Dragon Duel Champion during the weekend's Dragon Duel tournaments (for Duelists born in 2001 or later). It was a Madolche Deck, played with great expertise by de Jesus that helped him defeat his opponent, to secure an invitation to the Dragon Duel World Championship on August 9th - 10th. In addition to winning a trip to Italy for him and a guardian, he also received an amazing prize pack including complete sets of Legacy of the Valiant and Primal Origin, a Super Rare YCS Prize Card, Number 106: Giant Hand, a 64GB iPad, and a personalized Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship jersey to be awarded at the World Championship.

The 2014 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship will be held at Palacongressi di Rimini (www.riminipalacongressi.it) on August 9th - 10th. The venue will be open to the public, where all attendees can enjoy a spectacular Yu-Gi-Oh! themed occasion and cheer on their favorite Duelists. Throughout the weekend, spectators and players alike can enjoy a host of challenging, fun and free Public Events, and a wide range of activities based on the theme of "A Celebration of ZEXAL."
For more information on KONAMI or the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, please visit www.yugioh-card.com or call 310-220-8630 to speak directly with a Yu-Gi-Oh! customer support team member.
©1996 Kazuki Takahashi
©2011 NAS/TV Tokyo

About The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is the #1 trading card game in the world with over 25 billion cards sold. It is a game of strategy, where players create individual Decks of cards collected from Structure Decks and Booster Packs. Two players engage in a Duel while using cards that represent powerful monsters, magical Spells and surprising Traps. Duelists with well-constructed Decks, dominating monsters, solid strategy and good fortune are the victors in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is the exclusive licensee and rights holder to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in North America and Latin America.

About KONAMI
KONAMI is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties and traditional trading card games. KONAMI's software titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers. KONAMI is also the manufacturer of the wildly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold more than 25 billion cards worldwide. The latest information about KONAMI can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. KONAMI CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiaries, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. in Windsor, the United Kingdom. KONAMI CORPORATION is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by KONAMI can be found at www.konami.com.