Goa to host 350 elite players from 16 nations at Asia Cup Bridge championship

The Bridge Federation of India (BFI) said the prestigious quadrennial event will be held in Goa for the second time, after previously being hosted in 2018, highlighting the state’s growing prominence as a destination for international sporting events.

BFI Secretary Debasish Ray confirmed that participating nations include Australia, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Hong Kong China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and hosts India.

He added that Pakistan had expressed interest in participating but did not submit its entry.

The championship will feature team and pairs competitions across men’s, women’s, seniors, and mixed categories. India has fielded ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams in all categories.

Expressing confidence in the host nation’s prospects, Ray—who also serves as captain of the Indian men’s team—said the squads include several experienced players and medal winners. India has won 20 medals in the previous four editions of the championship, including eight gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals.

The Indian contingent features Asian Games medallists and seasoned players such as Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Sayantan Kushari, Anil Padhye, Sukomal Das, and Sagnik Roy.

The women’s team includes Monica Jajoo, Pooja Batra, and Himani Khandelwal, while veteran international Kiran Nadar will lead India’s challenge in the mixed pairs category.

(Reporting by Manik Banerjee)