Gabsi wants political help in bid to host 2003 Bermuda Bowl

Gabsi wants political help in bid to host 2003 Bermuda Bowl

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Contract Bridge Association (Gabsi) is hoping for
political assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs in
support of its bid to host the Bermuda Bowl -- the world's most
prestigious bridge tournament.

"The department should try to get the United States to ease
the policy warning its citizens against traveling to Indonesia in
the wake of the September 11 incident," Amran Zamzami, a Gabsi
advisory board member, said upon the national team's arrival at
Soekarno-Hatta airport here on Tuesday.

The team, which came second in the Rosenblum Cup in Montreal,
Canada, was received by Gabsi officials led by outgoing chairman,
General (ret) Wiranto.

The team comprised Eddy Manoppo, Henky Lasut, Denny Sacul,
Franky Karwur, Robert Tobing, Taufik Hasby and non-playing
captain Munawar Sawirudin.

The Rosenblum Cup is a quadrennial international team bridge
championship that traditionally draws strong teams from around
the world.

The Montreal meet featured 160 teams from 70 countries. Given
the number and the strength of the participants, the Rosenblum
Cup is the second most important bridge competition after the
Bermuda Bowl, whose latest edition was staged in Paris last year.

Bali, the tourism island in the southern part of Indonesia,
was actually to have hosted the tournament in October, but the
World Bridge Federation (WBF) abruptly shifted it to Paris
because of security fears arising from the Sept. 11 terrorist
attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

Indonesia hopes that the WBF will reexplore the possibility of
allowing the 2003 Bermuda Bowl to be held in Bali.

Amran, who acted as team manager in Montreal, warned of the
strength of American influence in the WBF and the need for the
American administration to lift a policy he described as akin to
a "cultural embargo" on Indonesia.

"At this juncture, we are turning to our Department of Foreign
Affairs for help," he said, adding that Indonesia would be in
competition with Mexico and Poland for the hosting of the 2003
championship.

However, Gabsi will have to prioritize resolving its internal
problems first following the resignation of Hatta Radjasa after
only one month in his job as the organization's chairman.

Hatta, who is also Minister of Research and Technology,
resigned on Aug. 14, saying that he did not have authorization
from President Megawati Sukarnoputri to take on the job.

Wiranto, who leads a five-strong team tasked with selecting
the members of the new Gabsi board, said that he would coordinate
with bridge organizations at the provincial level to find a
replacement for Hatta.

Wiranto refused to specify how much time would be needed for
this. "The issue will be resolved as soon as possible," said the
former Indonesian Military chief.