Elton Tucker, Asst. Editor - Sport
THE JAMAICA Bridge Association (JBA) is aiming to increase
its membership by attracting young players to the game.
Members of the association meet twice per week for tournaments at the Police Officers Club on Hope Road, but these playing sessions continue to have a maximum of only 30 to 40 players. And the average age is close to 60.
Outgoing president Charles Williams and national player Karl Lee want to change all of this.
"Our goal is to expand the game islandwide, attract young people and to play in more international tournaments. We are hoping to develop a programme and get help from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and the World Bridge Federation," Lee said.
RURAL FOCUS
He added: "We have tournaments every Monday and Wednesday in Kingston. We intend to try to get into Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, maybe Negril, the hotels and have tournaments. Anywhere we can get a group of eight or more we will have a tournament."
Williams said one of the main difficulties of the association was that they were not attracting young people.
"We have to be competing with other sports like golf, tennis, table tennis, football but bridge has its attractions. It stimulates the mind and facilitates a great deal of social interaction. We want to go into the schools and say to the principals 'bridge is a game just like chess' that can stimulate students to think analytically and to develop his or her mental skills. We will send bridge teachers into schools," Williams said.
In addition, both Williams and Lee said the game is now being played increasingly on line where one can sit at home in Kingston and play with people all around the globe.
The bridge association will hold its annual general meeting on Wednesday at the Police Officers Club starting at 6:30 p.m. Although it is often viewed as a game for intellectuals, bridge is not an expensive past-time. The annual membership fee is $1000 and players pay only $100 to compete in tournaments each Monday and Wednesday.
Jamaica has had some success at the world and regional level in bridge. In 1986 the local association hosted the World Champion-ships where Lee and his partner Dr Michael Coore won the Ocho Rios Invitational, a pairs event which was held in the north coast resort town.
