The NBA 2K League will host its first international qualifying event in Hong Kong, said an announcement on Thursday.

Twenty players from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were invited to the two-day qualifying event. They will compete in scrimmages, a double-elimination tournament and take interviews with league representatives and team managers.

The players were selected by the 2K League via the NBA 2K League Combine and based on their performances in NBA 2K events, including the annual NBA 2K Asia Tournament.

"Our goal is for the NBA 2K League to be a truly global league, with players and teams from around the world. Nine international players competed in our inaugural season and our hope is that number will grow every year. Hosting our first international qualifying event is an exciting moment for the NBA 2K League and an important step in further diversifying our player pool," said Brendan Donohue, managing director of the 2K League.

A committee comprised of league representatives and team managers will decide which players are qualified for the 2019 Draft. Meanwhile, live coverage of the double-elimination tournament on February 3 will be provided through the Twitch channel of the NBA 2K League.

The NBA 2K League is a professional esports league established by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. the company that produces NBA 2K, the video game. Since 2018, 102 top players of the game make up 17 teams to compete 5-on-5 during a regular season, a tournament and playoffs. In August 2018, Knicks Gaming defeated Heat Check Gaming in the finals to win the first NBA 2K League championship which came with a bonus of 300,000 U.S. dollars.