Kolkata to host 9th Shree Cement Bridge Championship from April 30

Addressing the media at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club on Monday, Corporate Bridge Association of India Secretary Debashish Roy said the four-day mind sport event has gained significant popularity at the national level over the past nine years.

With sole sponsor Shree Cement Ltd, the total prize money has been enhanced to Rs. 10 lakh this year.

Recognised by the Bridge Federation of India (BFI) and supported by the West Bengal Bridge Association, the tournament is categorised as a ‘Category A’ event in the country.

The championship will feature two main events — Team of Four and Match Point (MP) Pairs.

Last year, the Team of Four title was won by Formidable, comprising Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeswar Tewari, Kaustabh Nandy, Sagnik Roy, Sayantan Kushari and Kaustabh Bendre, while Mavericks finished runners-up with Subodh Maskara, A. Bhattacharya, Feyzad Ankelsaria, Harala Eide, Oren Toledano and Ami Zamir.

In the MP Pairs category, Pinaki Prasad Khan and Satyabrata Mukherjee emerged champions, while Vinay Desai and Raju Tojani finished second.

Apart from the main events, the championship will also host two side events — IMP Pairs and BAM Team event, considered as consolation formats.

The media conference was also addressed by West Bengal Bridge Association Secretary Arnab Guha and Joint Secretary Souren Dutta.