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)