I started playing the Pokmon Trading Card Game (TCG) around 10 years ago, when Iwas seven. My older brother, Marco, had already been playing with my dad for years. At first, the three of us just played at home. For me, Pokmon TCG is a family activity it keeps us close. Ithink thats important, especially nowadays when everyone is on their phone.Im from Iquique, a city in the north of Chile. We have a strong Pokmon community here, and several local shops host tournaments. The game is two-player, and involves each person preparing a deck of 60 cards each card represents one Pokmon, with different abilities and powers. You then battle your opponent with your cards; whoever has the more powerful combination of cards is the winner.Across Chile, Japanese culture has become ingrained in our own anime, Pokmon and manga are very popular here. There were a lot of Japanese shows on TV when I was growing up. Iwatched Naruto, Dragon Ball and, ofcourse, Pokmon.I hadnt really prepared a good deck, so never expected to win. But my opponent made a mistake, I gave it my best shot, and it workedI travelled to Santiago for my first tournament when I was 10. I got to the final. Before I started playing Pokmon TCG, Id not travelled much; now, Ivebeen to tournaments in So Paulo, New Orleans, Buenos Aires and, most recently, Hawaii, where the 2024 world championships took place.We began saving up for Hawaii a year before the competition. My brother came first in a tournament in Brazil andwon some money, and as one of thetop players in Latin America, he wasalso awarded funds to go to the world championships.My dad, Marco and I set off to Hawaii in August last year its the furthest weve ever travelled. On the first day, we had to wait three hours to check in to the tournament, then we queued again at the Pokmon centre, which sells merchandise. Igot some plushies, including a scuba-diving Pikachu exclusive to Hawaii. Then we concentrated on watching games and strategising against our opponents.Marco is a better player than I am hes one of the best in the world. But the game also involves luck. I didnt feel overly emotional during the three-day championships I was just having so much fun. My dad taught me not to worry about winning or losing, but instead to concentrate on playing well and sharing great experiences with my opponents.I took part in 15 games throughout the competition each can last up to 50 minutes. In the final, I hadnt really prepared a good deck, so never expected to win. But my opponent made a mistake, I gave it my best shot, and it worked. My dad would say Im being too humble.We didnt have time to celebrate my victory as I had a flight to catch I was just given the trophy and then rushed to the airport. But when I got back to Chile, we arranged a barbecue and had about 30 friends over of course, we played some Pokmon. A few weeks later, we received an invitation to the presidential palace. Athletes get invited to meet the president even ones who play niche sports!I wasnt too interested in going, but saw it as an opportunity to encourage younger kids to play. I was the first Chilean to win the Pokmon championships. We dont win many things as we are such a small country.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Inside SaturdayFree weekly newsletterThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionWhen my dad and I got to the palace, we were told Chiles president, Gabriel Boric, had to attend an emergency meeting and couldnt make it. Instead, we chatted to the secretary general, the foreign affairs minister and the ambassador of Japan, who were interested in the social impact of the game.Suddenly the door opened and Boric walked in, and said: Hey cabros (guys), how are you? He asked to see some of my cards, and suggested we take a few selfies. It didnt feel as if I was talking to a president, but just hanging out with another card player he plays the Magic the Gathering card game, which is similar in format to Pokemon TCG.I dont care about defending my title no one has ever won it consecutively. I just play to have fun. Anyone with a bit of luck can win. If you have a good deck, and its your day, whos to say you cant become the next Pokmon champion?Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@theguardian.com