RI after to honors in bridge

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's 18-strong team will depart for the Pacific Asia Bridge Championships in Kobe, Japan, today with an ambitious target of sweeping all three top honors on offer.

Playing captain Munawar Syafirudin said yesterday the country's greatest chance to win was in the open team, where he and fellow senior bridge player Hengky Lasut would team up.

"Indonesia remains the best bridge team in Asia, despite the slight slump in the past two years," Munawar said.

The country continued its poor recent record when it finished second behind host India in a national championship last year. Indonesia competed as an invitee.

Munawar said he believed his team would shine in the annual competition in Kobe, to be held from May 14 to May 24, as other squads were full of second-string players.

"From the list of participants, I know that other countries won't send their best athletes," Munawar said after paying a courtesy call on the chairman of the National Sports Council, Wismoyo Arismunandar.

Other than the open team, there are ladies and junior events in the tournament.

Six officials will accompany the Indonesian bridge players.

Munawar also said bridge would make its debut in the upcoming Asian Games in Bangkok as an exhibition, following an approach made by the Thailand bridge body to the event's organizers and the World Bridge Federation.

He said Indonesia would take the full advantage of the efforts and made a favorable prediction if the sport was included among the gold medal events in the 2002 Asiad in Pusan, South Korea.

"Hopefully we will be able to maintain our achievements in the coming years, because bridge will contribute gold medals to Indonesia in the Asian Games," Munawar said. (emf)