Asian Games 2018: India fields a squad of bridge players for the first time

Corporate sponsors could help take the nation further up the global rankings ladder in the game

Contract bridge is a game that often feels out of step with the times. Two-thirds of India’s population is under 30 and eight out of 10 bridge players are older than that. What’s more, almost anybody who plays the game concurs with Craig Gower, the 60-something South African international, who says, “There must be plenty of 25-year-olds who will eventually be better at bridge than me. But my 40 years of experience gives me the edge right now.”

While the mechanics of the game are relatively simple and easy enough for a young person with an agile mind to master, there