Bridge wanted at SEA Games

Bridge wanted at SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bridge Association has urged the
National Sports Council (KONI) to include the card game in the
19th Southeast Asian Games here next year.

The association's chairman, Wiranto, said on Thursday that at
least five out of six gold medals on offer will be within
Indonesia's reach if KONI manages to have the past-time contested
in the 1997 SEA Games.

Maj. Gen Wiranto, who is the Chief of Jakarta Military
Command, has a very strong reason to say so. Though finally
defeated, Indonesia took a 129-99 lead over a United States team,
USA-2, in the quarterfinals of the Bermuda Bowl men's team world
bridge championship in Beijing last year.

In 1994, Indonesia won, for the sixth time, the 16th
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Interclub Bridge
Championship in Genting Highland, Malaysia, thanks to the
country's number one pair of Hengky Lasut and Eddy Manoppo.

To include Bridge in the Games, Indonesia has to get approval
from at least three other Southeast Asian countries and have at
least three countries take part in the competition at the Games.

Wiranto added that Indonesia will take part in seven
international bridge championships this year. They include the
Far East Bridge Championship in Macau, from May 17 to May 25, the
Bridge Club Championships in Bangkok from Oct. 11 to Oct. 16 and
the Bridge Olympics in Rhode Island from Oct. 19 to Nov. 3.

Wiranto also said that Indonesia aims to grab the overall
title of the 2001 Bermuda Bowl championship for which Jakarta
will play host. (arf)