Two Pattimura teams to meet in final

JAKARTA (JP): Pattimura One and Pattimura Two, both from the Pattimura Club of South Jakarta, were scheduled to meet in the final of the National Inter-club Bridge Championship on Saturday in Kuta, Bali.

In the semifinals, Pattimura One won over PU Sulut from North Sulawesi with 33-23 International Match Point (IMP), while Pattimura beat Prasetya 70-57 IMP. Prasetya, two time winner of the competition, is also from North Sulawesi.

The semifinals were a replay of the National Bridge Championships final in Banda Aceh last year. The winner of the 1994's competition was from Manado whose members are now playing for Prasetya and PU Sulut.

Prasetya Manado, strengthened by powerful pair Hengky Lasut and Eddy Manoppo, failed to regain the title they won the last two years due to the tough challenger from Pattimura Two induced by Geovani Watulingas and Sance Panelewen.

After the grand final, held in Sahid Kuta Hotel, the event will continue with the opening of Inter-province Competition.

In the meantime, Hotel Kartika Plaza, another hotel in the Kuta Beach area, hosts the World Junior Competition in which 12 teams from 11 countries are participating in.

They are coming from U.S.A. (USA 1 and USA 2), Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and host Indonesia.

The World Bridge Federation president Ozue Damiani is expected to open the world junior event, Antara reported.

The world competition, the first time held in the country, is the main event of a series of bridge competitions organized by the Indonesian Contract Bridge Association held from July 5 to 17

Other events include University Bridge Competition from July 12 to 16.

Chairman of the University Bridge Competition committee, Julius Tejasukmana said, 36 teams from 16 provinces have registered to participate in the event. (icn)