More than 700 players to compete in 67th Ashok Ruia Memorial National Bridge Championship in New Town from Dec 1

Announcing details of India’s most prestigious bridge tournament, Bridge Federation of India (BFI) General Secretary Debasish Ray said the championship will feature multiple categories, including the Ruia Gold Cup—widely regarded as the Blue Riband of Indian bridge—along with the Ruia Silver Trophy for newcomers, the Ladies Pairs, Mixed Pairs, and Seniors events (for players aged 60 and above).

Ray also announced the annual BFI honours that will be conferred during the championship.

• Kiran Nadar of Team Formidables, who has represented India in several international tournaments, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 for her decades-long contribution to Indian bridge.
• Sumit Mukherjee, also of Team Formidables, will be awarded the Best Player of the Year 2025 for securing the highest master points this season—retaining the title he also won last year.
• Vidhya Patel of Rabipura village, Madhya Pradesh, will be honoured with the Best Junior Girl Player Award 2025.

Organised by the Corporate Bridge Association of India (CBAI) in collaboration with the West Bengal Bridge Association (WBBA) and under the aegis of the BFI, the championship will open on December 1 with the Ladies Pairs event.

This will be followed by the Seniors event on December 2 and the Mixed Pairs on December 3. Competitions for the Ruia Gold Cup and Ruia Silver Trophy will begin on December 5.

Another major attraction will be the Mall of the Millennium Match Point Pairs, scheduled from December 9.

WBBA Secretary Arnab Guha said the championship carries a total prize purse of ₹11.5 lakh and is sponsored by Phoenix Marketcity and Shree Cement, with support from Parksons Cartamundi and CBBA.