KARACHI, Feb 12: National championship winners and runners-up Candyland and Data Steel would be representing Pakistan in the Saarc Bridge Championship schedule to be held at Kolkota (India) from Feb 24 to March 1, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) announced on Sunday.     

Besides defending champions and hosts India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan will be featuring in the six-day championship.

A spokesman for PBF said it was turn of Sri Lanka to stage the championship and India decided to stage the  championship  after their pull out.

He said prior to the main event, a two-day pair event would be contested.

The team competition will be played on Swiss round robin-league basis and two teams after the league contest will qualify for the final.     

Candyland includes brothers Khalid Mohiuddin, Hamid Mohiuddin, Muhammad Ismail, Hasan Askri, Ziaullah Baig and Mubashir Puri while Data Steel has Rashidul Ghazi, Pervez Mirza, Tariq Rasheed Khan, Rashid Jafer, Mohsin Chandna and Gulzar Bilal.

PBF official said besides the two official teams, some shufflers would also be travelling privately to India to take part in the Pair contest.—APP