Hope to see more youngsters take up bridge now: India coach

Moments after Kolkata duo Pranab Bardhan and Shibnath Sarkar clinched the men's pair bridge gold in the Jakarta Asian Games on Saturday, Indian men team's non-playing captain and coach Debasish Ray said he now hopes more youngsters would take up the sport.

Ray, who was also the national selector for the Asian Games, had to return to Kolkata on August 29 in preparation for Inter-State Bridge Championship to be held in Mysore from September 5-9.

"I feel the moment of reckoning has finally arrived for the sport. I hope the youngsters will finally take up bridge after the Asian Games success," Ray told PTI here.

"I'm on phone since the news has spread, and both my lines are busy, so much so that I'm still to talk to them (Bardhan and Sarkar) after they won. But I'm very happy as we badly wanted this to happen. Finally there will be awareness for bridge," an ecstatic Ray added.

In a sport where the average age is 50-plus in India, Ray feels the youngsters involvement will improve the quality by leaps and bounds.

Terming it the most-scientific mind game, Ray said: "It's more advanced than chess. It has got higher number of permutation and combinations that you won't believe."
When asked about popular perception that card games are synonymous with gambling, he said: "Cricket is the most gamble sport in India. But look at the awareness and it has helped the sport."
Ray, however, wants to be realistic and says: "If not cricket, at least bridge can look up to chess. Look how many youngsters play the sport in India. I hope now bridge too can attract youngsters now."