Patron of the Indian bridge fraternity and noted industrialist H. M. Bangur declared the tournament open in the presence of Bridge Federation of India (BFI) President Prasad Keni, along with delegates from the World Bridge Federation, participating nations from the Asia-Oceanic region, and other BFI officials.
Speaking on the occasion, BFI President Prasad Keni welcomed all players and delegates, stating that the event would be keenly contested.
He also expressed gratitude to the Government of India, the Sports Authority of India, and other supporting organisations for their assistance in making the championship possible.
Inaugurating the event, H. M. Bangur thanked all participants for joining this prestigious competition and hoped that their stay at the seaside resort would be enjoyable.
The tournament will be played on a round-robin Swiss league basis. After the league stage, the top four teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
On Monday, in the team events, India Men’s “A” team will face Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, and India “B”, while India “B” will compete against Hong Kong China, Bangladesh, and South Korea. The hosts’ Indian Women’s “A” team will take on Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Japan, and their own “B” team.
(Reporting by Manik Banerjee)