IOC recognizes bridge as official Olympic sport<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The International Olympics Committee has
\nformally recognized bridge as a sport in its meeting in Bukarest,
\nRumania, on May 5. The board game, which also has its own
\nOlympics, can now be contested at the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Bridge Association was informed of the
\ncommittee's decision by vice president of the World Bridge
\nFederation, Mazhar Jafri, on May 8, Amran Zamzami, the
\nassociation's executive chairman, said.<\/p>\n
"A big step has been made for the progress of this sport,"
\nAmran said. Many countries do not treat bridge as sport. In
\nSoutheast Asia, only Indonesia and Thailand have formally
\nrecognized bridge as a sport.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has shown commendable performances in the sport.
\nStarting as a semifinalist at the 1980 Bridge Olympics in
\nValkenburg, the Netherlands, Indonesia managed to enter the
\nworld's top 16 at last year's interclub bridge Olympics in New
\nMexico in the United States. In between, Indonesia has also
\nnailed numerous victories at many bridge championships in the
\nAsia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
World championships<\/p>\n
On Indonesia's preparation for the 5th World Junior Bridge
\nChampionships, training director Roy E. Tirtadji said Indonesia
\nis all set to host the prestigious event, to be staged in Bali
\nfrom July 7 to July 17.<\/p>\n
The championships will be the first major event Indonesia has
\nheld in its bridge history, Roy added.<\/p>\n
Indonesia won the bidding to host the championships at a World
\nBridge Federation executive board meeting in Sotogrande, Spain,
\nin June last year.<\/p>\n
Seventeen clubs from 16 countries are expected to take part in
\nthe world championships. Teams which have confirmed their
\nparticipation include those from the U.S., Canada, England,
\nPoland, Denmark, Argentina, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Australia
\nand New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Following the world junior championships, Indonesia will also
\nhost an invitational world championship from July 12 to July 16.
\nOnly the world's top bridge countries are invited to the meet.
\nThey include England, the Netherlands, France, the United States,
\nCanada, Brazil, China, Australia, and a mixed World Bridge
\nFederation team consisting of the world's best bridge players.<\/p>\n
At the invitational meet, Indonesia will field three teams.
\nTwo of these are being prepared for the Far East Bridge
\nChampionships in Perth, Australia, slated for May 26 to June 6.<\/p>\n
The other one will be for the national interclub and
\ninterprovincial bridge championships, slated for July 5 to July
\n11 in Bali.<\/p>\n
Far East<\/p>\n
For the Far East championships in Perth, Indonesia will send
\nthree seasoned pairs. They are veteran pairs Hengky Lasut and
\nEddy Manopo; Denny Sakul and Franky Karwur; and Munawar
\nSawiruddin and Bert Polii.<\/p>\n
Tirtadji said Indonesia has a greater chance of winning the
\nFar East championships title because he believes arch rival China
\nwill concentrate its players on the Bermuda Bowl inter-team
\nOlympics, slated for September in Beijing.<\/p>\n
The Far East Bridge Federation Championships will serve as a
\nqualifying round for the Bermuda Bowl, the women's Venice Cup,
\nwhich is also the arena to name the last two teams for the Bali
\nworld junior championships.<\/p>\n
In the junior event at the Far East championships, Indonesia
\nwill field three pairs, which are being prepared for the Bali
\nmeet. (arf)<\/p>",
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