India Fields Strongest-Ever Squad for 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championships
Choose a language
Français
Deutsch
Español
Italiano
Português
Nederlands
Русский
中文
Türkçe
Dansk
Svenska
Norsk
India has unveiled its strongest-ever delegation for the 5th Bonus Asia Cup Bridge Championships, scheduled for 21–27 June 2026 at the Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon in Goa. The Bridge Federation of India (BFI) has assembled teams in every category – Open, Women’s, Mixed and Seniors. Forty-six teams representing leading bridge nations from across Asia and Oceania are expected to compete in what promises to be one of the strongest editions in the event’s history.
Leading the Indian challenge are Sumit Mukherjee and Rajeshwar Tiwari, bronze medallists at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Kiran Nadar, a two-time World Bridge Championships quarter-finalist and one of India’s most accomplished players, will compete in the Mixed category. The Women’s team features Monica Jajoo, Jesal Dabriwala, Puja Batra and Asha Sharma, while the Seniors squad will rely on the experience of Anil Padhye and Sukamal Das.
India’s rise on the international bridge scene gained significant momentum in 2018, when Pranab Bardhan and Shibhnath Sarkar won gold in the Open Pairs event at the Asian Games in Jakarta, securing the country’s first-ever Asian Games title in bridge.
The field includes several prominent international players. China will be represented by multiple Asian champion Chuancheng Ju, Japan by Chizuno Saito, and Australia by Open Playoff champion Fraser Rew. Teams from Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Middle East complete a highly competitive international lineup.
The programme includes the Open, Women’s, Mixed and Seniors Team Championships, as well as Pairs Championships in the same categories. The tournament will conclude on 27 June with the Friendship Pairs event. BFI President Prasad Keni highlighted the importance of hosting an event of this stature on Indian soil, describing it as a reflection of the growing prominence of bridge in the country.
Responses