"My target is winning the world championship," said Zhang Xingran, young and ambitious.

The 22-year-old Zhang is better known by his gamer ID JDG Zoom. Zhang and his team JD gaming made it to the final round of this year's Spring Season of LoL Pro League (LPL), the pro circuit for the massively popular game League of Legends in China, and played against last year's world champion team IG.

Competitive video gaming, or e-sports, has become much more than just a hobby in recent years. There are professional competitions for it, and even college majors geared toward e-sports. 

Not too long ago, this would just seem to be a group of youngsters playing video game. But this is e-sports, and the goal, now more than ever, is to win. 

According to China-based market research firm, e-sports is expected to grow into a 113 billion yuan market in the country this year -- that's almost 15 billion US dollars. The fast-expanding sector will need 500 thousand more employees by the next year. In a documentary released by China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, e-sports gamer and operator are listed among a list of new professions. Many colleges in China have also opened new courses and majors in e-sports.

Zhang noted he is doing what he enjoys. As e-sports become more mainstream, it's giving more and more Chinese youths like Zhang a chance to chase their dreams in what they enjoy.

However, it might not be a job for everyone.

"You need to know your skill level and exert a lot of effort. Otherwise, you are just wasting your youth if you keep trying to go pro, and probably should focus on school instead," said Zhang. 

”You not only need talent but also have to go through a lot of training. You have to deal with injuries like traditional athletes (do). Pro gamers might sustain injuries to their backs, necks or wrists when holding the mice too long," added the boy.