Chennai, May 30 (IANS) World Bridge Federation (WBF) president Ginarrigo Rona Monday said the game was in dire need of visibility and efforts were on to have the sport included in the Olympic Games programme.
Interacting with mediapersons here, Rona said: ‘The game of bridge has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Efforts are being made by the WBF so that bridge is included in Olympic Games programme in the near future.
‘If events like shooting and archery, which are not physical sports like other games in the Olympics, then why not mind games like bridge and chess? It is now a great challenge before us to take the game to the youth.’
He also emphasised the need to remove prejudice and taboos against playing card games in some Asian and Middle-East countries.
Rona pointed out that some of the European countries had already introduced bridge in schools and it has been observed that students playing bridge have done better in studies.
Bridge Federation of India (BFI) President NR Kirubakara Moorthy, who was also present at the media interaction, intimated that some of the BFI units have also started teaching bridge in schools.
Rona informed that WBF has now been included in the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) which is scheduled to meet at Manchester next year.
Asked about the financial position, the WBF chief admitted that getting enough funds was indeed a problem due to lack of adequate visibility for the game.
‘WBF is making all out efforts to get bridge included in the Olympics as a medal sport so that we can get financial assistance from the IOC for further improvement of the game,’ Rona said.
