Indonesia sets sights on 2001 Bermuda Bowl trophy
JAKARTA (JP): After its defeat in the final to defending champion France in the 10th Bridge Olympics on Greece's Rhodes Island Saturday, Indonesia is now setting its sights on winning the 2001 Bermuda Bowl men's team championship at home.
The Indonesian Contract Bridge Association's secretary- general, Frans Waleleng, told The Jakarta Post yesterday the target was fixed as soon as the World Bridge Federation, in its meeting on Oct. 23 on the Greek island, announced that Indonesia is to host the biennial event's first competition in the new millennium.
When asked why Indonesia set such a long-term target instead of a short-term one, Waleleng said the association, considering the current ability of its players and the tough opposition from China and Chinese Taipei, concluded that it would take Indonesian players at least five years to snatch the bowl.
"Now that we've managed to be runners-up in the Bridge Olympics, which was too good to be true, we might be able to seize the bowl next year. But we do not want to be too optimistic, " Waleleng said.
He added therefore that five years was more realistic given that the association hopes to generate enough money to send its representatives to the world's major bridge tournaments, as China has done.
"We can take China as a model. It was bottom-placed in the Bermuda Bowl championship in 1982 in Bangkok, finished somewhere in the middle one year later in Hong Kong, was second to us in 1984 in Macao and became champion in 1985 in Sydney," he said.
A bridge observer and former national player, Januar Dt. Majolelo shared Waleleng's view about the victorious year, but emphasized to the national bridge body of the importance of regeneration.
"We can still expect the services of the likes of Eddy Manoppo and Henky Lasut in the next five years. But given that Indonesians are prone to run out of steam at the last minute, we badly need more back-up players," Januar said.
He criticized the association's failure to set up a nationwide grooming program. Citing an example, he said that the association had wasted the Jakarta Bridge Institute, built by the Jakarta sports governing body in 1975.
Indonesia finished seventh after winning twice, drawing once and losing once -- and severely -- to eventual champion the United States in the quarterfinals of the last Bermuda Bowl in Beijing, China, last year. It was Indonesia's best finish ever since it first took part in the championship in 1982.
Next year's Bermuda Bowl takes place in Hamamed, a resort just outside Tunis, starting on Oct. 8. To qualify, Indonesia has to finish at least second in the championship's Asia Zone qualifying tournament in May in Hong Kong. (arf/amd)