KARACHI, Sept 23: A strong 42-member Pakistan contingent will be competing in the inaugural World Mind Sports Games to be held in Beijing (China) from Oct 3 to 18, the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) announced on Tuesday.

“Pakistan will be competing in bridge and chess events of mind sports extravaganza,” MSAP Director Tariq Rasheed Khan said on Tuesday.

Over 4000 players representing eighty countries from the globe will be taking part in the 16-day competition.

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has promised to extend financial assistance to the national contingent taking part in Mind Sports Games, he revealed.He said MSAP finalised the squad after holding the first-ever Pakistan Sports Mind Games in August.

He informed that Pakistan’s best bridge and chess players will be in action in the world event. Bridge players will be participating in five events — open, women, Under-21, Under-28 and seniors categories.In the Open Bridge event Pakistan is drawn with Trinidad, Denmark, Estonia, Slovakia, Brazil, Romania, France, Macau, Ireland, Finland, Japan, Albania, Kenya, South Africa and Canada.

Record 11-time national chess champion and International Mahmood Ahmed Lodhi will be leading Pakistan challenge in the Chess event. Other National Masters in the squad included Aamir Karim, M.Waqar, Haseeb Ahmed, Khalid Butt.

International Mind Sports Association is holding the world gala with Chinese associations.

All the players will be lodged at the Olympic village where athletes stayed during the Olympics.

Pakistan contingent is:

Bridge team: Ahsan Javed Qureshi (captain), Nauman Khalid Butt, Jahangir Ahmed, Zia Hyder Naqvi, Yasser Rahim, Farrukh Liaquat, Tahir Abbas Mirza.

Women’s team: Rubina Agha (captain), Najm Abid, Neelofar Aslam, Zeenat Azwer.

Youth team (under-21): Fehima Shouq Hussain (non-playing captain), Mirza Asfandiyar Hussain, Oosman Bashir, Zain Mohammad Khan, Haider Ali Malik, Shezereh Hussain, Hussain Ijaz Saeed.

Youth team (under-28): Mirza Shouq Hussain (NPC), Anam Iqbal Tebba, Dosti Zahra Jafri, Arsalan Mansoor, Faraz Hyder, Mudessar Rahim, Mubashir Puri.

Senior team: Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi (NPC), Tariq Rasheed, Maj (r) Hassan A. Zaidi, Masood Mazhar, Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Pervez Mirza, Hassan Jawad.

Chess: Mahmood Ahmed Lodhi, Aamir Karim, Mohammad Waqar, Haseeb Ahmed, M. Khalid Butt. Shafiq-ur-Rehman (manager).—APP