KARACHI, April 25: Punjab Bridge Association will hold the final segment of National Bridge trials for ladies and men’s team next week at Lahore, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) announced on Friday.

Three-day open trials for men will be held from May to 1 to 3 and for ladies on May 2 to 3 at Lahore Gymkhana Club.

There are only two ladies teams contesting the right to represent Pakistan in the next Zonal Bridge Championship to be held at Amman (Jordan) in July.

The first team consists of old campaigners, like Rehana Saigol, Samia Rasheed, Zeenat Azwer, Qudsia Dossa, Rubina Agha and Roshan Bokhari.

The second team which may put up a stiff challenge comprises ladies bridge players Molly Aapa, Wajahat sisters, Shahnaz Peerzada and Abeda Ali. However, the former may have an edge over the other due to their vast experience in competitive bridge.

For men’s team, six teams have been qualified from Sindh, namely, Allana, Candyland, Giants Lipton, PSO and Multi. They will face three qualified teams from Punjab, namely regaining reigning champions Punters, Izzo and Rehman. Tariq Aces will represent Rawalpindi/ Islamabad Bridge Associations.

The reigning Champions Punters, comprising Shouq Hussein, Mrs. Fehmina Shouq, Tahir Abbas, Javed Khalid, Hamid Zaman and Ali Abbas are in a great form these days and they are expected to prove their supremacy provided they could come out with much more improved performance against teams like Allana.

Fancied Allana comprises Jan-e-Alam Fazli, Rehman Allana, Rashid Jafer, Sultan Siddiqui, Tehsin Gheewala and Sarfraz Khan.

Although in the recently concluded Karachi Club event Rasheed Khan, Sattar Cochinwala, Pervaiz Mirza combined with their anchor pair of Nasir Reza Khan and Abdul Khaliq, this combination will definitely be a live threat to any team desiring to represent Pakistan in BFAME Championship .

Multi and Giants are other notable contenders from Karachi. Multi is a blend of youth and experience having Shahin Iqbal, Rashidul Ghazi, Tahir Masud and Javed Ahmed with two ambitious but very promising players like Mohsin Chandna and Amin Hakim, Giants with Masud Saleem, Yousuf Talpur, Maj. Zaidi, Hasan Jawad, Masud Mazhar and a probable from Lahore, Munir Ataullah, may be a potential winner since they are competent to turn the apple cart.

It would be a treat to watch young bridgeurs of Candyland, Zia-Hamid, Khalid-Hasan Askari pairing along with their ambitious Captain Muhammad Ismail pairing with Imran Jaka.

They are on form and would definitely be in the mainstream. PSO from Karachi, Izzo and Rehman from Lahore are old campaigners and have sufficient experience and knowledge of the game to upset any calculations. Tariq Aces is the only team from Islamabad to compete the trials. This team has shown remarkable game in the recently concluded Alcatel Bridge Championship and is competent to Handle their cards with their expertise.—APP