Bridge fraternity grieved by Azwer-ul-Haq’s demise

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The bridge fraternity mourns the loss one of its longest-serving administrators of the country, Muhammad Azwer-ul-Haq, who succumbed to multiple organ failure on September 16. He was buried the following afternoon in Karachi. He had celebrated his 75th birthday only a few days ago.

Besides being the Chairman Emiretus of the Karachi Bridge Associates (KBA) he also served as Secretary General of the Bridge Federation of Asia & Middle East (BFAME) after having had long stints in different roles at the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) which he also headed briefly. 

Although the soft-spoken Azwer became more famous in the role of an organizer, he was also a fine exponent of the game himself and he participated in innumerable national, regional and international events during a long career. 

The demise of Jan-e-Alam Fazli, Masood Saleem, Ehsan Abbasi, Sultan Siddiqui, Parvez Mirza, Kemal Shoaib and Syed Ameer Hasan with Azwer-ul-Haq becoming the latest casualty, has broken the back of Pakistan bridge during the recent past. 

“The bridge world has lost an irreplaceable asset with the death of Azwer. He and I worked together on the Managing Committee of the PBF for several years establishing a functioning secretariat and an organization that oversaw the creation of an institution to serve the administration and promotion of bridge in the country. He continued his excellent work both domestically and internationally as Secretary of the Asia and Middle East zone,” Khurshid Hadi, Chairman, Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), and two-times President of PBF, observed. 

It may be recalled that Khurshid Hadi and Azwer-ul-Haq were elected unopposed as President and Secretary of the PBF respectively in 1998 and they were credited to have revived the mind sport of bridge in Pakistan by organizing several landmark events.

“All of us are mourning today with the passing of Azwer He was a gentle soul and his small stature didn’t stop him being a giant in the bridge community. He worked tirelessly and selflessly with his passion shared by all of us. Our hearts are with his family. We have all lost a member of our family,” Pakistan’s bridge legend Zia Mahmood narrated. 

"It is indeed a profound loss to intellectual sport of bridge in not only at levels of Bridge administration in Pakistan but also to all National Bridge Organizations (NBOs) in BFAME. I had picked him up and brought him in the international bridge at Asian geographical sphere. He established his worth with hard work and technical knowhow,” Mazhar Jafri, the longest serving member of World Bridge Federation (WBF), having mentored Azwer, stated. 

“It's really shocking news to hear the sad news about our dear friend Azwar. He was a dear brother and a real gentleman who had cordial relations with almost every one he worked with to promote bridge in our zone. He was a great organizer. I am sure he will be missed by all members of the bridge community in our countries,” Bahjat Majali, President BFAME, noted. 

“How do you learn to manage without your go-to man for all seasons and every kind of reason? When in doubt, ask Azwer. And now when he has left us and I don’t doubt that every bridge player in our BFAME community feels that the ground we stood on has been pulled from under our feet. Last night when I learnt of Azwer’s passing my first thought was: who is going to inform everyone that he has left us? He filled so many shoes, wore so many hats, and he was friend, colleague and companion in the struggle to keep the bridge flag flying,” Rehana Saigol, a former President of the PBF, remarked. 

“The sad demise of Azwer my friend who was just like a brother came as a real shock. His loss has deprived of an ardent bridge administrator, organizer and a great human being. The whole bridge fraternity will miss him particularly in Asia and Middle East,” Ihsan Qadir, Chief Tournament Director of the PBF, recognized.

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Alvi to represent Pakistan in BFAME 2019

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Alvi qualified for participation in the upcoming BFAME Zonal Championship 2019 after emerging triumphant in the national bridge trials for open team conducted at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed in the National Stadium, Karachi. 

According to the details shared by the Karachi Bridge Associates (KBA) on April 10, Alvi, comprising of Farooq Alvi, Jahangir Ahmed, Arslan Mansoor, Hamed Mohiuddin, Muhammad Mubashir Puri and Khaled Mohiuddin, outsmarted all their six rivals in the four-day event. They will now represent Pakistan in the BFAME Championship due to be held in June at Jordan. 

Kizilbashing, featuring Anwar Mumtaz Kizilbash, Ali Hai, Zia Hai, Anis-ur-Rehman and Farhat Abbas, crashed in the final while Bilal, having the services of Gulzar Ahmed Bilal, Sheikh Abdul Muqeet, Javed Ahmed Miran, Shahin Iqbal and Masood Mazhar, and Spel, containing Muhammad Salman Qasim, Yasser Rahim, Mirza Shauq Hussain, Imran Abedi, Ahsan Javed Qureshi and Zia Hyder Naqi, were outwitted in the semifinals. 

The trials for selection of the open team had commenced on April 6 and concluded on April 9. Seven teams participated in the trials from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the three major centres of the country, who were engaged in the brainy warfare. 

Bilal, Alvi, Kizilbashing and Spel had entered the semifinals after the preliminary round matches. Kizilbashing outpaced Spel and Alvi outplayed Bilal in the semifinals and Alvi was up against Kizilbashing in the final. 

Alvi, having the representation from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore, started the final with a bang, winning the opening segment 70-38. They capitalized on the grand start and went on to win the following two segments as well with the final scores being Alvi 156-141 Imps. 

Tehseen, having Hasan Askari, Tehsin Gheewala, Parvez Mirza, Farrukh Liaquat, Mohsin Chandna and Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Chandna, possessing Shakeel Ahmed Chandna, Major Akhter Zaidi, Syed Abdul Hameed, Col Nasir, Syed Asghar Abbas Zaidi and Ghulam Mohammad, and Romex, fielding Shahid Rafique, Shafiq Janjua, Rashid Nabi and Sajid Nabi, were the other three participating team in the national trials.

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Dr Minhaj Qidwai elected new KBA President

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Dr Minhaj Qidwai and Khalid Mohiuddin have been elected unopposed as the President and the Secretary respectively of the Karachi Bridge Associates (KBA) for a three-year term starting from 2017.

According to the results declared by the KBA at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed at the National Stadium, Karachi, all the nine candidates having submitted their nominations were elected unopposed. 

The Founder President of the KBA, Ahsan Rizvi, having relocated abroad, didn’t contest the elections while Azwer-ul-Haque, a veteran bridge player and administrator, was conferred the post of Chairman Emeritus and Rehana Saigol, a former President of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), has been inducted as an Advisor of the KBA. 

Besides Dr Minhaj Qidwai (President and Director), and Khalid Mohiuddin, (Secretary), Mubashir Puri (Director), Tehseen Ayub (Director), Syed Ameer Hassan (Communication Manager), Mohammad Rafiq (Facility Manager), Shaikh Abdul Muqeet (Business Development Manager), Shahab Khan (Media and Publicity Manager) and Wajahat Suri (Training Manager) are the other elected office-bearers of the KBA for the period 2017-2019. 

“Serving our members, working closely with like-minded organizations and promotion of bridge among youth are our top most priorities. The new KBA management looks forward to work as a team with all the bridge fraternity to promote bridge in Pakistan and make Pakistan shine on the global bridge map,” Dr Minhaj Qidwai remarked. 

“We would like to welcome our member for pairs event every Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm and team event every Sunday from 3 pm to 9 pm at the Aslam Bridge Hall. For playing on Tuesdays the members may have to speak to one of our team members to know the venues holding the event which include Karachi Gymkhana, Karachi Club, Defence Club or Golf Club or elsewhere,” he announced. 

“All who desire to learn bridge are encouraged to contact the KBA management for lessons and training sessions. We are open to suggestions on how to promote bridge particularly among the young Pakistanis to excel in this mind sport,” he added.

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Bridge Nationals 2015 in November

Pakistan News & Features Services

The Silver Jubilee edition of the National Bridge Championship is scheduled to be held in November at Karachi with Islamabad being the alternate venue.

Gulzar Bilal, Secretary, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), has announced that the Bridge Nationals 2015, offering prize money to the tune of Rupees half a million, will be staged from November 6 to 9. 

He added that the trials to select the national team to represent the country in the next year’s World Mind Sports Games will be conducted on IMP pairs basis during the month of December. 

The PBF Secretary disclosed that efforts were being made to celebrate the silver jubilee of the National Championships in a befitting manner and bigger cash awards are being offered to the top performers. 

“Obviously the 25th edition of the National Bridge Championship is going to be a landmark event for us and we would like to make it a memorable experience. We expect around 20 to 25 outfits in the Team Championship whereas more the participation in the pairs event is anticipated to be over 100,” Gulzar Bilal, himself one of the best exponents of the game in the country, stated. 

“Besides the lion’s share in the prize money, the winning team will also receive a running trophy. Cash prizes have been disbursed to the top performers in the past as well but this time the amount will be higher,” he continued.

“As in the past, the National Championship will remain an open event for the bridge players from all over the country and the deadline for confirming entries will be November 5,” the PBF Secretary declared.

It may be recalled that both the finalists of the last edition of the National Bridge Championship hailed from Karachi. Puri Real Estate had emerged triumphant in the title clash, having outwitted Bilal Sindh in the final.

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Pakistan Bridge Federation rewards victorious outfits

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) has rewarded the seniors and the women team of the country for having triumphed in their respective events of the 18th Asia and Middle East Bridge Championships 2015 held in Amman, Jordan, earlier this year.

In fact it turned out be quite a memorable reunion of Pakistan’s bridge stalwarts and the sumptuous dinner served in the lush green lawn on a most pleasant evening brought smiles on every face attending the event. 

Cheques of Rupees three lacs each were presented to the captains of both the winning teams during a dinner reception hosted in their honour by Mohammad Nawab Yousuf Talpur, President, PBF, at his DHA residence in Karachi on August 17. 

Pakistan’s seniors outfit comprised of Azhar Hamid, Iftikhar Baqai, Mirza Shauq Hussain, Zakir Mahmood, Masood Mazhar and Kamran Ibrahim, while the national women team featured Rubina Agha, Zeenat Azwer, Qudsia Dossa, Roshan Bokhari, Rubina Hai and Fatima Reza. 

By virtue of winning the zonal trophies, both the teams have also qualified for the World Bridge Championships, due to be staged in Chennai, India later this year. They will be taking part in the 8th d’Orsi Seniors Trophy and the 20th Venice Cup to be held alongwith the 42nd Bermuda Bowl and the 10th Transnational Teams Championships from September 26 to October 15.

The cheques were collected by Kamran Ibrahim and Roshan Bokhari, who captained the seniors and women outfits respectively. 

Speaking on the occasion, the PBF President hailed the performance of the seniors and women teams in the zonal event, expressing the hope that their feat will be helpful in boosting bridge in Pakistan. 

Nawab Yousuf Talpur talked about the federation’s plans to initiate a programme aimed at promoting the sport from the grassroots level in order to it to the masses. 

“Our current and former players have done an exceedingly good job over the years. But we need to look to the future and we have to expand the base. We need a broader pool of players in order to produce high quality players on a regular basis,” he remarked. 

Gulzar Bilal, Secretary, PBF, added that they already have finalized a plan to mobilize the youngsters and they look forward to implementing it in the very near future. 

“We are at it and we would be launching the programme for youth shortly. We do have talented and passionate youngsters playing bridge in the country which augurs well for the future,” he reckoned. 

The ceremony was attended among others by Mazhar Jafri, Khurshid Hadi and Tariq Raheed Khan, all of whom having headed the PBF in the past. The other prominent bridge players present on the occasion included Abdul Rahman Allana, Shahin Iqbal, Ghalib Bandesha, Maj (retd) Masood Zaidi, Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Hasan Askari, Dr Minhaj Kidwai and Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi.

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Record purse disbursed in Pakistan Day bridge

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Cash awards of no less US $20,000, a new record, were presented to the leading performers of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament in what turned out to be a colourful closing ceremony of a successful event where the participation level was on the higher side.

The team event was contested by as many as 35 outfits, which included some of the top players of the United Kingdom, China, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

They were confronted with 29 local teams from Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi Islamabad, Multan and Hyderabad who had joined hands to tackle the tricky combination of cards and solve these problems through intense mental activity required in the mind sport of bridge. 

Both the UK outfits came up with sterling performance to share the top two positions after two days of intense fight for supremacy. UK-2, comprising of Jason Hackett, Justin Hackett, Mike Bell and Alex Hydes, won the Nawab Yousuf Talpur Trophy besides the top prize US $7,000 by aggregating 162.31 Victory Points (VPs) while Barmy Army, and containing Sendra Penfold, Edward Jones, Thomas Paske and Brain Senior, ended runners-up with their tally of 134.56 VPs and they collected a purse of US $3,500.

Talpur, featuring Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, Parvez Mirza, Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Syed Hasan Jawwad, were the leaders among the local teams as they finished third overall with their score of 129.72 VPs, picking up a cash award of US $2,500 while Miran, having Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib, Abdul Rehman Allana, Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, Tahir Masood and Javed Ahmed, received US $2,000 for having finished fourth with 126.44 VPs. 

Dynamite, represented by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem Arzoo, Syed Hussain Jaffar, Mohammad Ashraf Kothari, Anwar Gheewala and Afzal Ahmed Sheikh, came fifth by having aggregated 115.77 VPs which earned them US $1,500 while the sixth placed KG-1, fielding E U Khawaja, Usman Ansari, Nasir Wahab, Sattar Cochinwala and Mansoor Habib, with an aggregate of 115.40 VPs, got US $500.

The participation in the pairs contest was even higher with as many as 92 pairs having competed for the Data Steel Trophy which was claimed by Ghufran Ashraf-Shahab Khan (61.50%), alongwith a cash prize of US $1,000. 

Runners-up Brian Senior-Sandra Penfold (59.98%) received US $700 while Anwar Sultan-Khalid Manzoor (59.97%), Afzal Sheikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (59.95%), Hassan Jawwad-Rashid-ul-Ghazi (57.21%) and Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib (57.12%) shared the next four positions and they were compensated with US $500, US $400, US $250 and US $150 respectively. 

Special prizes of US $100 each were presented through the courtesy of Data Steel to the pairs of Ali Hai-Zia Hai and Qudsia Dossa-Rubina Hai.

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Richly deserved Lifetime Achievement Award for Rashid-ul-Ghazi

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rashid-ul-Ghazi, acclaimed as the most accomplished bridge player of the country, has been decorated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), a recognition he richly deserved.  

The presentation was made to him during the Victory Banquet of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 at the Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, on March 23. 

The modest and unassuming Rashid, having won more championships than anyone in the country, was hailed as a formidable opponent with the rare abilities to achieve outstanding results on a consistent basis. 

His services to the game were very rightly lauded by the top officials of the PBF and the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), who jointly organized the three-day festival. 

Rashid, who was also a part of the national team which won the BFAME Zonal Championship at Chennai, India, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Nawab Yousuf Talapur, President, PBF, in the presence of Khurshid Hadi, Chairman, MSAP. 

Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, and a former President of the PBF, was highly appreciative of the accomplishments of Rashid, whom he described as a role model for the bridge players of the country.

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UK dominance in Pakistan Day bridge

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The brilliance of the stars from the United Kingdom, who played under the banner of UK-2 and Barmy Army, shared the top two positions in the team event of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Championships which concluded at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, on March 23. 

Besides the UK there were foreign participants from China, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well in the three-day festival organized jointly by the Mind Sport Association of Pakistan (MSAP) and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF). 

UK-2, comprising of Jason Hackett, Justin Hackett, Mike Bell and Alex Hydes, continued to dominate their rivals and their eventual aggregate of 162.31 Victory Points (VPs), earned them the top slot with ease and grace. 

Barmy Army, the other participating team from the UK and containing Sendra Penfold, Edward Jones, Thomas Paske and Brain Senior, ended runners-up with their tally of 134.56 VPs. Talpur, featuring Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, Parvez Mirza, Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Syed Hasan Jawwad, were the leaders among the teams fielded by Pakistan. They finished third overall with their score of 129.72 VPs while Miran, having Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib, Abdul Rehman Allana, Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, Tahir Masood and Javed Ahmed, finished fourth with 126.44 VPs. 

The fifth position was claimed by Dynamite, represented by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem Arzoo, Syed Hussain Jaffar, Mohammad Ashraf Kothari, Anwar Gheewala and Afzal Ahmed Sheikh, who aggregated 115.77 VPs. KG-1, having E U Khawaja, Usman Ansari, Nasir Wahab, Sattar Cochinwala and Mansoor Habib, came a close sixth with 115.40 VPs while China-2, containing Limin Wang, Hua Liang, Huizhong Zhao, Zhiwei Ding, Rhenda Zhang and Tianlu Guo, had to settle with the seventh slot with their tally of 113.68 VPs. 

Avengers, fielding Qasim Rahim Khan, Ali Ahmed, Hamza Liaqat and Mohammad Salman Qasim, finished eighth with 110.54 VPs, Ahsan, comprising of Ahsan Zahir Rizvi, Nasir Raza Khan, Ghulam Mohammad, Anis-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Ghufran Ashraf and Shahab Latif Khan, were placed ninth wither tally of 109.97 VPs and Zara, having fielded Zara Randa, Mays, Aida, Samar Alrawashde, Mohammad Hikal and Sakhar, were placed 10th with 109.59 VPs. 

A total of 35 teams, seven of them from abroad, took part in the event which was spread over 10 rounds. The first five rounds were played on March 22 while the remaining five rounds were contested the following day. 

The first round winners were Barny Army, UK-2, Hai, Thread & Needles, Miran, Sindh Bilal, Zara, Romex, Karachi Aces, Dynamite, KG-1, Ahsan, China-2, Izzat Khalil, Talpur, Blue Chips and Aces with Trail Blazers having been given a bye. 

Aces, UK-2, Thread & Needles, Talpur, Miran, Romex, Barny Army, Zara, Izzat Khalil, Avengers, Puri Estate, Star Bidders, Masood IV, Softel, Dynamo, Sabres and Turkey registered wins in the second round with Foxy given a bye. 

UK-2, Barny Army, Talpur, China-2, Sindh Bilal, Puri Estate, Turkey, Avengers, Dynamo, Ahsan, Dynamite, Trail Blazers, Foxy, Holdem and Saya defeated their respective opponents in the third round in which B-Team had a bye. A couple of matches also ended in a draw in this particular round. 

Thread & Needles played out a draw against Aces while Star Bidders and Hai were also engaged in a drawn encounter. There were massive victories for Data Steel and Masood IV in the fourth round as they whipped B-Team and Softel respectively. 

UK-2, Talpur, Miran, Romex, Sindh Bilal, China-2, Zara, Avengers, Star Bidders, Hai, Trail Blazers, Saya, Karachi Aces, Lahore and Marathon also prevailed over their respective rivals while Inbox had a bye in the fourth round. 

The victorious teams in the fifth round were UK-2, Sindh Bilal, Miran, China-2, Zara, Avengers, Masood IV, Dynamite, Puri Estate, Ahsan, Kohat Cement, Karachi Aces, KG-1, Holdem, China, Inbox and Soften with Sabres getting a bye. 

There was more success in the sixth round for UK-2, Talpur, Avengers, Thread & Needles, Dynamite, Turkey, Aces, Ahsan, Trail Blazers, Softel, Foxy, Holdem, Saya, Data Steel, Lahore and Blues with Marathon having been given a bye which the match between Miran and Barmy Army ended in a stalemate. 

Puri Estate, UK-2, Holdem, Hai, Inbox, China-2, Sindh Bilal, Trail Blazers, Masood IV, Barmy Army, Softel, Miran, Blue Chips, Dynamo, Marathon, Turkey and Sabres registered wins in the seventh round with Karachi Aces given a bye. 

KG-1, Marathon, Lahore, Trail Blazers, Masood IV, Sindh Bilal, Aces, Dynamite, Barmy Army, Foxy, Puri Estate, Star Bidders, Ahson, Inbox, Thread & Needles and UK-2 overcame their respective opponents in the eighth round in which China had a bye while Dynamo and Saya were played out a drawn encounter. 

The winners in the ninth round were Data Steel, KG-1, Foxy, Hai, Miran,Talpur, Masood IV, Marathon, Aces, Avengers, Inbox, Barmy Army, UK-2, Dynamo, Turkey, Karachi Aces and Sabres while Kohat had a bye. 

China, Dynamite, UK-2, Softel, Zara, Barmy Army, Ahsan, Avengers, Miran, Dynamo, Marathon, Talpur, China-2, Kohat Cement, KG-1, Saya and Romex signed off with victories over their respective rivals in the tenth and final round in which Blue Chips had a bye.

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Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib revive Istanbul memories

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Khurshid Hadi and Kemal Shoaib, two of the leading exponents of bridge in the country, reproduced their sensational form of the 2004 World Olympiad in Istanbul during the pairs contest of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Championships held at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, on March 21.

Known and respected for their cool-headedness, calmness, intelligence and indepth knowledge about the sport, they dominated the first couple of sessions winning both of them convincingly. But they somehow faltered in the third and final session to slip to the sixth position. 

According to the final results declared by the organizers, Ghufran Ashraf-Shahab Khan were declared winners of the pairs with their average score of 61.50% while Brian Senior-Sandra Penfold ended runners-up with the score of 59.98%, edging out Anwar Sultan-Khalid Manzoor stood third with 59.97%. 

The pair of Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Hasan Jawwad claimed the fourth slot with 57.21% while Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib had to be content with the sixth place as their average score was worked as 57.12%. Ali Hai-Zia Hai (56.66%), Arssalan Mansoor-Mudassar Rahim (56.40%), Ziaullag Baig-Hamid Mohiuddin (56.36%) and Jason Hackett-Justin Hackett (56.14%) shared the next four positions while Anwar Kazilbash-Tanvir Mazahir (55.57%) and Masood Mazhar-Mirza Shauq Hussain (55.37%) finished 11th and 12th respectively. 

As far as the results of the individual sessions were concerned, Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib emerged triumphant in the first session. 

Playing from the North-South direction, they aggregated 60.28% points to outwit their closest challengers, Shahin Iqbal-Hasan Akhtar Zaidi (60.17%), Brian Senior-Sandra Penfold (60.00%), Afzal Sheikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (59.47%) and A.C Shamim-Safdar Mahmood (58.93%). A.K Bhurgri-Mohammad Zubair led the table from the other direction in the first session with their score of 61.69% with Anis-ur-Rehman-Zeenat Azwer (61.61%), Mubashir Puri-Junaid Said (57.52%), Vikram Dhar-Hussain Adamali (56.49%) and Ahsan J Qureshi-Ghias Malick (56.22%) claiming the next four positions. 

Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib extended their glorious form into the second session which they won by securing a score of 62.34% with Ranada-Aida (61.58%), A.C Shamim-Safdar Mahmood (60.86%), Tanlu Guo-Rhenda Zhang (59.77%) and Ishrat Hussain-Shamim (59.00%) sharing the other top four slots. 

Afzal Shaikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (63.78%) led the table from the East-West direction in the second session and they were followed by Shuxia Yang-Teng Ning (58.48%), Sarfaraz Ahmed-Nasim Arzoo (58.38%), Arssalan Mansoor-Mudassar Rahim (58.31%) and Minhaj Kidwai-Anwar Kidwai (56.89%). 

There were as many as 92 pairs contesting event, spread over three rounds of 32 boards each. It offered a prize money of US $3,000, with the winners to receive a handsome cash award of US $1,700 in the presentation ceremony to be held on the Pakistan Day (March 23). 

The participation of some of the top players from China, England, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also heralded the return of international bridge in Karachi after a gap of 17 years. The event is being organized jointly by the Mind Sport Association of Pakistan (MSAP) and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF).

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Khurshid Hadi expects South Africa in Pakistan Day International Bridge tourney

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Khurshid Hadi, Founder President, Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), who is also a Past President of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), expects South Africa’s national team to participate in the Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 to be held at Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, from March 21 to 23.

“Seven foreign teams from UK, China, Turkey, Jordan and UAE have already confirmed participation and will start arriving from March 19. The national bridge team of South Africa is most likely to be the eighth outfit from abroad to take part in the three-day extravaganza,” he remarked in an interview. 

The Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014, being organized jointly by the PBF and the MSAP, is set to become another success story with Khurshid Hadi being the backbone of the committees doing the business. 

“Final touches are being given to what is intended to be the biggest-ever international bridge tournament in Pakistan, carrying total prize money of US$20,000 with the team event offering US$17,000 and the pairs contest to carry rewards of US$3,000,” he remarked. 

“10 teams from Punjab and Hyderabad have also confirmed participation. The organizing committee expects record participation from the Karachi-based players and is expecting a total of 50 teams taking part in the tournament,” Khurshid Hadi added. 

“Ihsan Qadir, Pakistan’s senior most tournament director, who is on the World Bridge Federation’s elite panel has been entrusted with the task of overseeing and running the upcoming event,” he revealed.

“Nawab Mohammed Yusuf Talpur, President PBF, has confirmed that the Sindh Chief Minister, Qaim Ali Shah, will be the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony to be held on March 23,” the MSAP President announced. 

Khurshid Hadi, who was the Chief Organizer of the Pakistan Golden Jubilee Championship 1997, reckoned that the upcoming tournament could help immensely in boosting the soft image of the country, besides reviving the mind sport.

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Foreign teams set to participate in Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014, to be held at Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, from March 21 to 23, will be having greater foreign participation than was being anticipated. 

The organizers have already received confirmation from players from as many as 11 countries including Turkey, Canada, Australia, Egypt, Norway, Jordan, China, India, England and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first international bridge tournament to be staged in Pakistan in 17 years. 

Khurshid Hadi, President, Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), who was the chief organizer of the Pakistan Golden Jubilee Championship 1997, is in the forefront again, mobilizing his resources to do it once more. This time he has been blessed with a better organizational team which seems to be having the capacity to deliver. 

The Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 is a joint venture of the MSAP and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), which is currently headed by Nawab Yousuf Talpur, with Gulzar Bilal being the Secretary.

Pizza Hut, Tapal Tea, Inbox Technologies and J S Bank are the sponsors of the three-day event with Geo Super being the exclusive media partner. 

The total prize money of the tournament will be US$20,000 with the team event offering US$17,000 and the pairs contest to carry rewards of US$3,000. 

The organizing committee held a session with the sponsors at the venue of the tournament, on February 20. A media briefing in this regard had already been organized more than a week ago. 

Khurshid Hadi, in his welcome address, recognized the sponsors for joining hands with them in promoting the event, aimed at boosting the soft image of the country. 

“Let’s not forget that the conditions are far from ideal and we do need momentous efforts to bring about a change collectively. The Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 could help immensely in changing the perception and earning goodwill for the country, besides reviving the mind sport,” he remarked. 

“Let me put on record the efforts of Pakistan’s legendary bridge player, Zia Mahmood, in playing his role in roping in the overseas players, although he himself won’t be in a position to come over due to his preoccupations there,” Khurshid Hadi added. 

Tahir Masood, Chairman, Organizing Committee, didn’t mince words in stating that he was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response they have been received from the foreign players. 

Gulzar Bilal, Secretary, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), hinted at the possibilities of transforming the Pakistan Day tournament into a permanent annual event. 

Ahsan Zahir Rizvi, President, Karachi Bridge Association (KBA), was of the opinion that the upcoming international event will help greatly in motivating the youngsters to take to bridge. 

Aqeel Hasan, Managing Director, MCR (Pvt) Ltd, stated that Pizza Hut was proud to be associated with the international bridge tournament as Pakistan needed such kind of high-profile events at regular intervals. 

Ghias Khan, CEO, Inbox Technologies, while soliciting support for the junior prpgrammes of bridge, urged the MSAP and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) to lay emphasis on the youth circuit.

Syed Pervez Iqbal, Director MSAP, firmly believed that events like Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 play a defining role in building a better image for the country.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, and a former President of the PBF, informed about the initiatives taken in the recent past to promote mind sports from the grassroots level. He particularly talked about the landmark inclusion of bridge as a proper subject in one of the leading schools of the city.

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Bridge legend Zia Mahmood to partner Ameer Hasan in Super Bowl

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Zia Mahmood, regarded as the greatest-ever bridge player to have emerged from Pakistan, will team up with Syed Ameer Hasan in the Super Bowl bridge contest being organized in the latter’s honour by the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) early next month.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, has confirmed that the legendary Zia, who took Pakistan all the way to the final of the Bermuda Bowl World Championship two times during the 1980s, has confirmed his participation in the upcoming Super Bowl scheduled to be staged at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed in the National Stadium Karachi, on January 2. 

Zia, who was declared as the Bridge Player of the Decade in the United States of America (USA), has lived abroad for a number of years but he has remained a regular visitor to the home country. 

“Zia is scheduled to arrive in Karachi in the New Year Day and besides taking part in the Syed Ameer Hasan Benefit Match and Super Bowl, he will also be involved in other ceremonies during the first week of January,” Tariq Rasheed disclosed. 

“The Super Bowl concept was introduced to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of bridge personalities. After having honoured 26 outstanding players and four organizers we have now decided to recognize Syed Ameer Hasan, a pioneer of bridge journalism in Pakistan. He has been a dedicated worker and committed player whose role in the promotion of bridge deserves to be eulogized,” the MSAP official stated.

Ameer Hasan had served the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) as its Executive Secretary for more than a decade before having joined the MSAP three years ago. 

“His services were acquired by the MSAP immediately after he left the PBF in 2010. He has worked for the cause of bridge non-stop for a number of years and we felt it’s high time to honour him befittingly,” Tariq Rasheed observed. 

“The MSAP Chairman, Khurshid Hadi, had approved the Syed Ameer Hasan Benefit Match and Super Bowl about six months ago and Data Steel, the major sponsors of mind sports in the country, promptly agreed to support it. The date of January 2, 2014 was finalized in consultation with Zia Mahmood who was very eager to participate in the event,” he added. 

The MSAP Director didn’t deem it proper to disclose the exact amount Ameer Hasan was likely to be presented at the Super Bowl but assured that it would be a handsome purse.

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Aslam Memorial Bridge Tournament merits greater participation

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

While it’s heartening that the Karachi Bridge Association (KBA) has succeeded in holding the Aslam Memorial Bridge Tournament every year but what’s disappointing is the fact that the attendance has been on the decline.

Mohammad Aslam Shaikh, who was recognized as a torch bearer of the sport of duplicate bridge having rendered great services to the game, had passed away in 1995. 

The KBA instituted a tournament in his memory the following year and it has remained a permanent annual feature on their calendar since then. 

The thin attendance in the last edition of the tournament was a setback to the organizers who were justified in expecting larger turnout. 

The participation of only nine teams in the competition had not reflected the respect the late Aslam Shaikh commanded in the bridge circles. 

The KBA officials are hoping for greater participation than last year in the 18th edition of the tournament scheduled to be staged at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed in the National Stadium, Karachi, on July 6 and 7.

Mohammed Azwerul Haque, President, KBA, has urged the local bridge players to compete in larger number in order to pay homage to the late organizer. 

The tournament will be conducted on Swiss Movement basis, spread over seven rounds, subject to the number of competing teams. 

It may be recalled that Century Insurance, comprising of Shaikh Abdul Muqeet, Tanvir Mazahir, Saleem Ahmed and Ghulam Muhammed, had emerged triumphant in the previous edition of the tournament while Data Steel, having Rashid Jaffer, Tariq Rasheed Khan, Tahir Masud, Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Imran Jaka, who captured the title in 2011, had to settle with the runners-up trophy.

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Nawab Yousuf Talpur greets BFAME champions

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), and Member National Assembly (MNA), hosted a dinner-reception he hosted in the honour of the BFAME champions at his residence in Karachi recently.

It turned out to be a wonderful get-together in which Nawab Yousuf Talpur, having taken over as the chief of the PBF just a few months ago, also had informal chat with the sports scribes covering the mind sport of bridge for a long time.

It was his first proper interaction with the bridge journalists after becoming the PBF President, although he had been speaking to them individually in the past as well.

He disclosed that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will soon be meeting the victorious national bridge team, who came up with stunning performance to annex the 16th Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) Championship in Chennai, India, last month.

Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Tahseen Gheewala, Tahir Masood, Javed Ahmed Miran, Syed Hassan Jawwad and Hasan Askari with Tariq Rasheed Khan being non-playing captain and manager, it may be recalled, had prevailed over arch-rivals India to recapture the crown after 12 years.

“The Prime Minister has also approved a summary in which substantial funds have been allocated to the PBF for taking care of the costs to be incurred for sending our national team to the 2011 Bermuda Bowl World Championship to be staged at Veldhoven, the Netherlands, in October,” Nawab Yousuf Talpur revealed.

“The Prime Minister has congratulated each and every member of the team for having produced sensational performance to win the zonal title. Being preoccupied in the budget sessions presently, he has expressed the desire to meet the squad that brought home the glory in the very near future,” the PBF President added.

Nawab Yousuf Talpur, having succeeded Tariq Rasheed Khan, who retired after a second term at office, expressed his confidence over securing more governmental funds for the cash-starved federation.

He also hinted at the possibilities of holding an international tournament in Karachi later this year, provided the foreign teams agreed to come over for a few days to Pakistan.

“Let the mind sport of bridge benefit by my presence in the PBF. We have to put together our resources to generate funds and have a lot of activity. We have some plans which will soon be implemented,” he announced.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, who brought with him the trophy his team won in Chennai, shared the experiences there and described the tournament as a well organized one, crediting the hosts for the hospitality.

He attributed the success in Chennai to teamwork and looked forward to carrying the momentum to Veldhoven. He also acknowledged the support of the legendary Zia Mahmood that helped in motivating the team during the BFAME Championship.

With the sole exception of Javed Ahmed Miran, who’s presently out of country, all the other members of the victorious outfit attended the reception alongwith the PBF officials, Azwer-ul-Haq and Masood Mazhar and bridge stalwarts, Parvez Mirza and Shaheen Iqbal.

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Victorious Pakistan bridge squad gets mixed response upon arrival

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It has become a kind of tradition in Pakistan where the sporting accomplishments, rather few in the recent times, have not been used for the promotion and further development of sports.

Everyone likes to be associated with the winners. Considerable hype is created whenever a sporting title is clinched. That’s the time when media runs after the athletes and their officials, who otherwise have to chase them to get their attention.

A couple of veteran bridge administrators of the country were taken by surprise when they caught the glimpse of so many television cameras and reporters at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, on June 2, who had assembled there to cover the arrival of the triumphant Pakistan squad having won the 16th Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) Championship in Chennai, India, the other day.

While there was a heavy turnout of the media contingent to greet the national heroes and record their expressions, none of the officials of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) or the Karachi Bridge Association (KBA) were seen there to accord welcome to a team that brought home the title after 12 years.


Only a few associates of the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) were there to garland the victorious bridge outfit comprising of Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Tehsin Gheewala, Tahir Masood, Javed Ahmed, Syed Hassan Jawwad and Hasan Askari with Tariq Rasheed Khan. They also celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets at the airport.

It’s probably an indication of things to come. The PBF is quite unlikely to make any effort to cash in on the opportunity provided to them to popularize the sport.

Speaking to the media corps, Tariq Rasheed Khan, attributed the resounding success in Chennai to teamwork and consistency.

“Our team displayed tremendous self-belief and was not overawed by the occasion. We didn’t show any sign of nerves entering the final even though India had the better of us in the league matches on a couple of occasions,” Tariq Rasheed, whose team touched down at Karachi after nearly 12 hours of journey that included change of aircraft and five-hour stay at Mumbai, remarked.

“We were not much concerned even with the carryover of 12 points which the Indians had in the final. All we had to do was to keep playing well and avoid mistakes which we did and it made all the difference between winning and losing. The Indians of course were disappointed but that’s the beauty of the game,” he reminded.

He was particularly delighted at having brought to an end Indian’s winning streak in the BFAME Championship.

“Yes we have had close encounters with them in the finals over the years but somehow we were not winning the title. It’s very satisfying to have brought back the title after 12 long years. Hopefully we will be able to retain it for sometime,” he added.

When questioned about the most significant contributions to the success of his team, he singled out the pair of Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Tahseen Gheewala for having played superbly throughout the event.

Rashid-ul-Ghazi, during his brief chat with the media, disclosed that the team had received ‘timely’ tips from the legendary Zia Mahmood during the course of the championship.

“Zia was kind enough to advise us and pass on a few tricks during our discussions. It boosted our morale and we came up with the performance to win the title. Now we have to that momentum into the Bermuda Bowl World Championship in the Netherlands later this year,” Rashid-ul-Ghazi, acclaimed as Pakistan’s most accomplished bridge player for the past many years, hoped.

Tahseen Gheewala, nicknamed the baby of side, targeted Pakistan’s presence among the top eight nations in this year’s Bermuda Bowl.

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Ghias, Kashif come out trumps in Dilshad bridge tourney

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The youthful duo of Ghias Khan and Kashif Shah emerged triumphant in the inaugural Dilshad Open Pairs Bridge Championship, organized by the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed in the National Stadium, Karachi, on April 23.

Youth dominated over experience on a day that saw quite a few seasoned campaigners taking the backseat and the stage was dominated by the young guns. Ghias Khan and Kashif Shah had the satisfaction of going past some of the big names of the mind sport in the country.

According to the official results released by the MSAP, Ghias Khan-Kashif Shah won the trophy by securing 62% points while Azwerul Haq-Ishaq Subhani (59.74%) and Tanvir Mazahir-Anwar Kazilbash (58.91%) finished second and third respectively among the 49 participating pairs in the tournament dedicated to the late Masud Saleem, acclaimed as one of the legends of the game.

Shahab Serki-Anisur Rahman came fourth their aggregate of 58.27% while Farhat Abbas-Syed Anwar Kamal ended fifth with their tally of 56.68%.

The championship named after Dilshad Ahmed, one of the popular bridge figures, offered a purse Rs 50,000 in prize money whereas it was originally planned to disburse Rs 30,000 among the top performers.

The one-day event was dedicated to the legendary Masud Saleem, who used to partner the great Zia Mahmood in what was Pakistan’s golden era in international bridge arena.

The venue of the event was changed in view of the tremendous response it received from the moment it was announced by the organizers. Originally it was announced to hold it at the DHA Creek Club but it was moved to the centrally accessible Aslam Hall, the hub of bridge activities in the metropolis, having the capacity to host more than 60 pairs at a time.

Rehana Saigol and Tariq Rasheed Khan, two of the former Presidents of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), added grace to the event by having participated in the championship.

Dilshad Ahmed, a veteran bridge player, who sponsored the championship, used to captain Deuces, one of the famed teams of the yesteryears. Nicknamed ‘Dillo’ he has remained popular in the bridge circles for a long time.

He has had the honour of having spent long hours at bridge table with the likes of Zia Mahmood, Masud Saleem, Jane-Alam Fazli, Nisar Ahmed Khan and Munir Ataullah. He has fond memories of the Nazimabad Club where he spent innumerable nights playing with his friends Shamsuz Zaman, Waheed Bux Quadri, Ismail, Quadri, Asghar Naqvi, Shehenshah, Jamal Nizami, Hasan Akhtar Zaidi and Syed Ameer Hasan.

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Bridge makes fabulous entry in Sindh Games

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The pair of Raza Naqvi and Anwar Kamal wrote their name into record books by winning the first-ever bridge gold in the Sindh Games at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed in National Stadium, Karachi.

Raza Naqvi-Anwar Kamal won the pairs contest by scoring 60.88% while Khalid Mohiuddin-Mubashir Puri (59.95%) and Anwar Kazilbash-Ghulam Mohammad (58.38%) claimed silver and bronze medals respectively.

The inclusion of bridge in the 13th Sindh Games generated tremendous interest and a record number of 34 pairs entered the competition. It was the largest number of competing pairs in any of the contest in Karachi.

Masud Mazhar, by aggregating 67.01%, earned the honour of securing the gold medal in the individual championship with Ghulam Mohammad (65.31%) running away with the silver medal and Dr Ahmed Hasan (62.93%) clinching the bronze medal.

A total of 32 bridge players, featuring the top 16 of the pairs championship, took part in the individual contest that included the big guns like World Master Jan-e-Alam Fazli.

A couple of players from Larkana were expected to feature in the individual championship but they could not participate as they had arrived at the venue when the third round was being played.

Bridge was included in the Sindh Games for the first time in 24 years and not surprisingly it brought more glories for Karachi who won the trophy for the 13th time in succession.

Karachi dominated the Sindh Games in general but it was a totally one-way traffic as far as bridge was concerned with all three medals in both the bridge competitions being grabbed by the local players.

The total dominance of Karachi in bridge was not unexpected in view of limited avenues available in other towns or regions of the province. Hyderabad has had its presence but the same could not be said about Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur.

The inclusion of bridge in the Sindh Games opens the doors for the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) as well as the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) as both the bodies are eager to spread the game.

The PBF don’t have a Sindh chapter yet but they could give it a thought now following the inclusion of bridge in the Sindh Games whose next edition is due to be held early next year.

The PBF may be constrained constitutionally and some amendments would need to be incorporated in order to facilitate a new provincial body which might be a time consuming effort considering the fact that they are governed by the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

In the interim period the PBF could mobilize their resources in organizing tournaments in the towns like Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas and Larkana where bridge does have a certain amount of following.

Another option of accomplishing breakthrough could be extending the MSAP Collegiate Programme to other parts of Sindh after its successful launch in Karachi.

The Sindh Games has definitely provided an opportunity to the bridge administrators and the ball has now moved to their court. How swiftly they meet the challenge remains to be seen.

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Tariq-led Data Steel crowned as national champions

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Data Steel were crowned as the new national champions when they overpowered Solax 130-112 in the most absorbing of finals of the National Bridge Championship 2010 in Lahore on May 4.

Besides becoming the national champions Data Steel have also earned the right to represent Pakistan in the in the World Series Championships 2010 to be staged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, from October 1 to 16 and they will also compete in the Commonwealth Nations Championships 2010 to be organized in New Delhi, India, from October 25 to 31.

Data Steel, having the services of Tariq Rasheed Khan, Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Tehsin Gheewala, Tahir Masud, Javed Miran, Mohammad Saeed Akhtar and Javed Khalid, continued their good work in the final to outwit the dangerous Solax, composed of Ghulam Mohammad, Anwar Mumtaz Kazilbash, Gulzar Ahmed Bilal and Khalid Mohiuddin.

The high-profile Data Steel outfit is now looking forward to bringing laurels for the country during the upcoming international events.

Data Steel featured the President of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), Tariq Rasheed Khan, as well as the President of the Punjab Bridge Association (PBA), Javed Khalid, besides some of the leading bridge players of the country in Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Tahir Masood.

Tariq Rasheed, who led Data Steel to their maiden national title, believed that his team possessed the expertise and the mental strength to come good in the toughest of situations and they were able to do it at the Lahore Gymkhana.

He acknowledged that the final against Solax, spread over four segments of 16 boards each, was a tough one and both the contestants had a chance of pulling up a victory until the last stages.

It was only in the final segment that Data Steel was able to assume control through superlative bidding and back up that carried them to victory in the final, broadcast live through the internet.

Earlier in the semifinals, Solax had stunned Preempters, who topped the points table at the end of the league matches, while Data Steel knocked down Giants, the defending champions.

Prempters, having the likes of Jan-e-Alam Fazli and Abdul Rahman Allana to complement Jahangir Ahmed, Farrukh Liaqat and Izzat Khalil, could not extend their form in the tie against Solox who had ended up last in the race for semifinals.

Solax remained in the driving seat and galloped serenely into the final through unremitting brilliance. Somehow the top team after the first three days failed to dazzle and the resolve demonstrated in the league matches fizzled away. Throughout the semifinal, Solox reflected enthusiasm undiminished and at times their effort looked awesome.

Data Steel proved too good for Giants featuring Masood Mazhar, Mirza Shauq Hussain, Muhammed Mubashir Puri, Hamid Mohiuddin and Asfandyar Shauq. The reigning champions were unable to come to terms with the Data Steel team that was dauntless and daring.Giants failed to sparkle and conceded defeat virtually midway after 48 of the 64 boards had been played with Data Steel leading by 160 to 70. They were dethroned rather softly in the end.

Hosts Punjab Bridge Association (PBA) recognized the quartet if Ihsan Qadir, Safraz Butt, Syed Ameer Hasan and Umair Kousar, for having conducted the event nicely by incorporating the use of latest technology in the scoring system commissioned by the Karachi-based Pakistan Bridge University (PBU), another brainchild of Tariq Rasheed Khan.

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Gulzar, Sarfaraz shine Down Under

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Two of Pakistan’s top players, Gulzar Bilal and Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, have returned home after having performed impressively in the recently concluded 2010 Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge staged in the Australia capital.

Their superb performance came around the same time when Pakistan’s cricket team was being blanked by the Aussies. Remember Pakistan were beaten in every Test match and One-day International besides the one-off Twenty20 International during their most unforgettable cricket tour ever.

It was very gladdening to find Gulzar and Sarfaraz, members of the reigning national champions in Pakistan, combining brilliantly with the Australians to make it to the semifinals of the team championship where they went down fighting to a spirited local outfit.

Teaming up with the Aussie trio of Seamus Browne, Khokhan Bagchi and Michael Smart, they finished fourth among 178 participating teams in the mega event held under the auspices of the Australian Bridge Federation (ABF).

The tournament, held at the Canberra’s National Convention Centre every year, is regarded as the biggest bridge event in the Australian calendar with many of the international bridge stars participating.

The 2010 edition brought the summer festival into the electronic age of bridge with the introduction of bridgemates in all events. The innovation allowed the players to see contracts, leads and results of boards from all other tables and matches. Each table was equipped with an electronic unit that was user-friendly for the participants as well.

De Livera, featuring Arjuna De Livera, Ian Robinson, Ian Thomson, Richard Brightling, Matthew McManus and Michael Ware, won the team contest by overpowering Milne, having Liam Milne, Michael Whibley, Nabil Edgtton, Andy Hung, Adam Edgtton and Alex Smirnov, 141-101 in the final with the segment wises scores being 28-32, 52-17, 30-36, 31-16.

In the semifinals the eventual champions De Livera had prevailed over Lilley, containing
D Lilley, Z Nagy, B Haughie, A Braithwaite, N Griffiths and J Williams, 142-116. De Livera took the first round 50-32 while their opponents grabbed the next one 44-25. They, however, ensured their passage into the final by winning the last two rounds 24-16, 43-24.

Milne outplayed Bilal, having Gulzal Bilal, Sarafraz Khan, Seamus Browne, Khokhan Bagchi and Michael Smart, in the other semfinal 145-77. Milne emerged triumphant in the first three rounds with the scores of 38-27, 64-11, 20-6 to gain an unassailable lead. Bilal had the consolation of winning the fourth round 33-23 that could only reduce the margin of their defeat.

Both Gulzar and Sarfaraz, two of the leading bridge players of the country, were very happy with their recent performance in Australia and they hoped to do even better in future.

“Yes it was very frightening to bear the agony of defeat after defeat of our cricketers at the same time when we were focusing hard on doing well on the table. Away from the bridge table as well the horrible performance of Pakistan’s cricket team was a much talked about subject in the social gatherings,” Sarfaraz recalled.

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City of Karachi honours Jan-e-Alam Fazli

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Jan-e-Alam Fazli’s contribution as one of the most prolific bridge players of his time has been recognized by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) by means of dedicating a street after his name.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), broke the good news that Jan-e-Alam, who holds the distinction of being the highest ranked Pakistani player at the international level, has been honoured by the City of Karachi by naming with the street where he lived in his early days after him.

“It’s a matter of great pleasure and pride for all of us. It’s a moment to cherish for every bridge player of the country. We are delighted to have the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street in Karachi,” Tariq Rasheed remarked.

The sentiments of the bridge players are very clearly reflected in those remarks of the PBF President. It’s not often that the bridge legends of the country have been recognized in much manner at the governmental level.

Jan-e-Alam happens to be the only player in South Asia and Middle East Zone to have been conferred the rank of International Life Master by the World Bridge Federation (WBF).

He was an integral part of the national team in the golden era of the 1980s when Pakistan had reached the final of the Bermuda Bowl World Championship two times within six years. He was nominated for the coveted Presidential Award but the change of guard in 2008 deferred his case.

When contacted the modest and unassuming veteran bridge player explained that the city government has named the road housing his childhood residence in Block A of North Nazimabad as the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street.

“I feel really honoured and elevated by this gesture of the city government. This is an acknowledgement of my contribution to the cause of sports. I thank the concerned officials for having taken up this initiative. I am sure the whole fraternity of sports will welcome this move,” Jan-e-Alam observed.

Jan-e-Alam very rightly reckoned that the athletes do get inspired by their recognition like these and they try to payback by performing even better.

He has been acclaimed one of the greatest sportsmen of Pakistan, having contributed significantly for putting on the bridge map of the world. He was one of the illustrious contemporaries of the great Zia Mahmood, a World Bridge Federation (WBF) and American Contract Bridge League (ABCL) Grand Life Master.

The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has made a praiseworthy move by honouring the bridge legend. Now the authorities in the federal capital should also expedite his case for the Presidential award.

The Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) should also try to pursue his case in Islamabad because he thoroughly deserves the award. It would be another major boost for the development of the mind sport in the country should he get it.

One hopes that the red tape or the political considerations would be overcome by the saner elements in the Federal Ministry of Sports who must be aware of Jan-e-Alam’s massive contribution to the sport of bridge.

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