KARACHI, Oct 20: A 20-member Pakistan bridge squad was due to leave for Estoril (Portugal) in the early hours of Friday to participate in the Bermuda Bowl-World bridge championship to be held at Estoril (Portugal) from Oct 22 to Nov 5.

Besides Pakistan ladies team, Pakistan seniors, Allana and Hadi will be featuring in the different event of the competition.

Pakistan men team Candyland failed to qualify for the Bermuda Bowl after losing in the semifinal of Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) earlier this year.

Pakistan’s women team comprising Abida Ali, Teeta Agha, Zeenat Azwer, Mrs. Rasheed, Rehana Saigol, Samia Rasheed and Shireen Bukhari will figure in the main event.

Nishat Abidi, Rashidul Ghazi, Tariq Rasheed Khan, Pervez Mirza and Yousuf Talpur will taking part play in Seniors Bowl.

Masood Mazhar and Hasan Jawad pulled out of the team because of indisposition.

Data Steel, Allana and Hadi will participate in Trans National mix team event.

Allana team have A.R.Allana, Jan-e-Alam Fazli, Sarfraz Ahmed, and Muhammad and Hadi team comprises Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib, Javaid Ahmed and Sajid Isphani.

Over 35 countries from all over the world will be participating in the competition.

Meanwhile, World Bridge Federation (FBF) senior Vice-president Mazhar Jafri is due to leave for Lisbon (Portugal) tonight to attend the meetings of WBF Executive Council and to conduct and supervise 2005 World Bridge Championships

Prior to his departure for Lisbon, Mazhar said that WBF Executive Council will deliberate on a number of matters of importance which will have direct bearing on the future well being of bridge fraternity around the globe in general, and growth and progress of the intellectual sport of bridge in the world in particular.

As chairman and member of various WBF Committees, Mazhar will be actively involved with the supervision and monitoring of the championships.—APP