KARACHI, March 31: Top three teams from Pakistan will take part in the fifth SAARC bridge championship which will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from April 23 to 27, the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) announced on Monday.

Competitions will be held in open category, ladies’ and pairs’ categories in the six-day championship, a PBF official said on Monday.

Data Steel, Hadi and Candyland have confirmed their participation in the biannual event.

Defending champion India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the competition.

The Bridge Federation of Sri Lanka is hosting the championship on behalf of the SAARC Bridge Association.

The PBF is holding a major Super Marathon bridge tournament at the Aslam Memorial Bridge Hall from April 11 to 13 in preparation for the SAARC event.

21 teams including that from Islamabad and Lahore will be battling for cash prize of Rs100,000.

The three-day event will be played over seven rounds in the initial stage and top teams will qualify for the finals.—APP