17 temas to attend world bridge tourney
17 temas to attend world bridge tourney
JAKARTA (JP): Seventeen countries representing their respective zones have confirmed their entry in the 5th World Junior Bridge Team Championship to be held in Bali in July.
The biennial event, under the full sanction of the World Bridge Federation, was inaugurated in Amsterdam in 1987. On that occasion Indonesia managed to finish fourth.
"Being the host for the 1995 tournament, and judging from our arduous preparation and the national athletes' being groomed for the last six months, I think we have a better chance of winning the title," said the Indonesian Contract Bridge Association (Gabsi) executive chairman Amran Zamzami on Sunday.
Great Britain, Poland and Denmark are representing the European zone. The American zone representative will come from Canada , America One and America Two. Australia and New Zealand will represent zone seven, Oceania.
Other teams are expected to come from the Latin American zone (two countries). The Far Eastern zone will be represented by the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei and Japan. India and Pakistan will represent the Central Asian zone.
Indonesia, as the host nation, is eligible for the tournament without going through the qualifying round.
The world junior championships are scheduled to take place at the Bali Kartika Plaza hotel between July 8 and July 17.
A world invitational competition will also be held in conjunction with the junior event. Nine strong bridge nations are expected to take part in the world invitation, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, the USA, Canada, China, Australia and the UK.
Two national competitions, inter-club championships and inter- universities tournaments will be held in conjunction with the world junior championships to commemorate Indonesia's golden independent anniversary.
"Our preparedness for the prestigious event has reached 80 percent and we are set to make it a success," Amran said at the conclusion of the bridge coaching clinics for Jakarta's journalists at the Lippocity housing complex in Bekasi. (rsl)