Karachi: Pakistan’s women team retained their crown and their veterans completed a grand double by grabbing the seniors’ title in the 18th Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) in the Jordan capital of Amman on Tuesday night.
The women’s team defeated arch-rivals India by 80-79 International Match Points (IMPs) and qualified for the Venice Cup — World Women’s Bridge Championship.
The team comprising Qudsia Dossa, Roshan Bokhari, Zeenat Azwer and three generations of one family in their fold, grandmother, mother and daughter Rubina Agha, Rubina Hai and Fatima Reza respectively, retained their title after winning their maiden honours in Ahmedabad in 2013.
According to results received here by the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) on Wednesday, Pakistan started well and with eight boards left had outscored India by 24 IMPs to lead by thirteen.
India gradually clawed their way back and at the last board had reduced the deficit to six IMPs. On the last board there was a swing to India, but they could only manage five IMPs to lose by the narrowest of margins.
In the Seniors, with just seven boards remaining Pakistan led Sri Lanka by only 1.5 VPs, but over the final straight they added another 23 IMPs to win the match.
Led by Kamran Ibrahim with seasoned campaigners Zakir Mahmood, Shouq Hussain, Masood Mazhar and Azhar Hameed in the fray, they won the coveted title.
In the Open semi-finals, Bahrain lead Jordan by 18.6 IMPs and the UAE lead Bangladesh by 62 IMPs.
MSAP director Tariq Rasheed Khan, meanwhile, felicitated both teams for their double triumph. “It’s great honour and boost for Pakistan bridge particularly women team retaining their title,” he said in a statement.
