KARACHI, Sept 4: Pakistan's top bridge star Rashid-ul-Ghazi was due to leave for Verone (Italy) late Saturday night to feature in the World Individual Bridge Championship to be held there from Sept 8 to 12, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) announced.

Rashid got the highest number of votes based on the individual performance in national and international events to win the selection.

Around eighty countries from across the globe would be featuring in the five-day event which is being conducted by World Bridge Federation.

This is an invitational tournament and organizers will be bearing all the expenses of the participants.

A spokesman of PBF said that this event orld hampions will play against each other without their fixed partnership, but with equal quantum of brilliance.

In this contest the participants from all over the world would be sending their best players like Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolf, Paul Soloway, Zia Mahmood, Sami Kebala, David Burn, Nick Nickell from USA and Canada, Sandra Landy, Justin Hackett, Barry Rigal, John Armstrong and Andrew Robson from United Kingdom and Italian Masters like Banito Gorrorzzo etc.

Rashid has very long list of successes in Pakistan spread over 28 years since he shuffled the cards in mid-seventies.

He enjoys winning of highest number of events in Pakistan and most of the Pair Events in Zonal Bridge Championship.

In the meantime PBF is holding its 22nd Super Bowl bridge championship to honour bridge legend Nishat Abedi at Aslam Bridge Hall on Sept 7.-APP