EA Bridge International: Team Poland, Dilip Atha IV crowned champions
Team Nest Inn (R Kannan, Girish R Bijoor, Ramaratnam Krishnan, V Ramkumar, Afshar Majeeed) with a commanding 109 IMP victory
Poland's Wojciech Gawel, Przemyslaw Janiszewski, Buras Krzysztof, Piotr Marcinowski with the trophy
CHENNAI: Team Poland and Dilip Atha IV emerged champions in the Gold and Silver Segments respectively as the inaugural EA Bridge International Bridge Championships concluded at Express Avenue Mall here on Saturday.
In the Gold Segment, the Polish quartet of Wojciech Gawel, Przemyslaw Janiszewski, Buras Krzysztof and Piotr Marcinowski outclassed India’s Team Nest Inn (R Kannan, Girish R Bijoor, Ramaratnam Krishnan, V Ramkumar, Afshar Majeeed) with a commanding 109 IMP victory. The contest was evenly poised at the halfway stage before the experienced Poles shifted gears to close out the final in emphatic fashion.
The Silver Segment title went to Dilip Atha IV, comprising Rana Chakraborty, Dilip Atha, Kajal Chandra Das, Sumit Bhowmik, Swapan Sardar and Sumit Saha. They held their composure in a tense finale to edge KKK Bridge Lovers (Suvankar Basu, Sudip Pandit, Goutam Pore, Ramprosad Das, Animesh Majumder, Saptarshi Chanda) by 14 IMP.
The six-day event, organised under the aegis of the Bridge Federation of India (BFI), drew enthusiastic crowds and international participation, making history as the first major bridge championship to be staged inside a shopping mall. More than 17,000 deals were played over five days of competition.
Prize distribution honours were presented by BFI president Prasad Keni, who hailed the event as a “historic moment for Indian bridge.” He praised Express Avenue Mall and its chairperson Kavita Singhania for hosting a tournament that has “generated significant interest in the game from the youngsters in Chennai and India.”
The unique setting — a famous mall in the heart of the city — gave the bridge unprecedented visibility, combining world-class infrastructure with accessibility for spectators. With global champions competing and local fans discovering the sport up close, organisers believe the championship has set a benchmark for how the mind game can be promoted in India.
Keni confirmed that plans are already in place to return with the next edition in 2026 at the same venue.