Stellar Performance in Dubai: India sweeps three golds and a silver at the Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East meet, securing qualification for the World Bridge Championships in Denmark
In a golden run at the Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East tournament in Dubai, Indian bridge teams have successfully qualified for the 47th World Bridge Championships, scheduled to take place in Herning, Denmark from August 20-31, 2025. The championship will feature top-tier global competitions, including the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, D’Orsi Trophy, and Wuhan Cup. India will join 65 other teams from 35 nations, all qualifying through seven competitive zones across the world, reported telanganatoday.com.
India’s commanding victory in Dubai highlights the nation’s growing prowess in global mind sports as it prepares for the World Championships in Denmark
The Indian contingent bagged an impressive tally of three gold medals and one silver, securing qualification in all four categories — Open, Women’s, Seniors’, and Mixed. The gold-winning men’s team featured Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeshwar Tewari, Sagnik Roy, Kaustabh Nandi, Kaustubh Milind Bendre, and Sayantan Kushari under coach and non-playing captain Debasish Ray.
In the women’s category, Puja Batra, Asha Sharma, Bindiya Kohli, Priya Balasubramanian, Bharati Dey, and Alka M Kshirsagar secured the gold, guided by coach Arvind Vaidya. The seniors’ team comprising Ramaratnam Krishnan, B Prabhakar, Bachiraju Satyanarayana, Jaggy B Shivdasani, Subhash Gupta, and Ravi Goenka also topped the podium, coached by Girish Bijoor. The mixed team of Rajeev and Himani Khandelwal, Rana Roy, Sheetal Bansal, Priya Ranjan Sinha, and Bindiya Naidoo clinched the silver, with Vinay Desai as coach.
Calling it a “clean sweep,” India’s chef-de-mission Debasish Ray acknowledged the stiff competition at the zonal qualifier and emphasized the need for hard work before facing the world’s best in Denmark. He also hinted that some team adjustments may occur based on performance reviews from the coaching staff.
Ray expressed gratitude for the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which has backed the Bridge Federation of India (BFI) since 2017 through its Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) scheme. The ministry’s consistent investment — averaging Rs 2.55 crore annually over the past three years — has been pivotal in providing Indian bridge players access to training, overseas competitions, coaching, and equipment.
