KARACHI: Half a dozen Karachi outfits comprising reputed international players will be taking part in the 15th edition of the Balijee Bridge Championship, being held in Lahore Gymkhana from Pakistan Day.

The four-day championship carries a lucrative prize purse of rupees one million for the Pairs as well as in the team championship.

Prominent Karachi teams include Hadi comprising Khursheed Hadi, AR Allana, Kemal Shoaib and Rashid Jaffar while Masood team features Masood Mazhar, Mirza Shouq Hussain, Azhar Hameed, and Zakir Mahmood in their fold. Other Karachi teams included Marathon, Karachi Silver and Karachi Aces.

“We are expecting around 20 teams from Karachi, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Lahore,” Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) secretary and organising secretary Ihsan Qadir said.

The pairs event will be held in three sessions on first and second day followed by team for two and a half days, he said.

Hold’ Em from Islamabad will defend their title in Baljee Bridge. Pakistan’s top player Mubashir Puri who had represented the country in Bermuda Bowl — World Bridge Championships in Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) and international events will play for Aces Lahore which also has Ahsan Qureshi, Noman Butt and Mohammad Usaid.

By virtue of winning the National Bridge Championship, Lahore Aces will be representing Pakistan in the 19th BFAME Championship scheduled to be held in Dubai from April 3.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017