WORLD BRIDGE FEDERATION

Anna Maria Torlontano
WBF Women Committee Chairman

January 2005

Report on the WBF Women's Committee

As you know the Women's sector, especially in some zones, is a very difficult one. I'll try summarize the situation.

Our aims are as follows:

• to convince all NBOs to send their Women Players, representing their country, to our WBF Championships. We need to increase above all the number of Teams.
• to try to increase and develop the women's Bridge in general, specially in the less advanced countries.

First of all I would like to point out what has been done to date:

In February 2004 I wrote all NBOs a very long letter touching the most important points regarding Women's Bridge:

AIMS

• The increase and development of Women's Bridge in general
• The importance of sending a Women's Team to represent the Country in the World Teams Olympiad and also in the 2nd  University Teams Bridge Cup.
• To  appoint a Women's Delegate  representative of the Women's Bridge in their Country (easier to be in contact with)
• Communication, in order to keep in close and regular contact among us.
• Offering suggestions, help like teaching material and program, and advice on how Women can become trained Directors in accordance with the WBF policy.

The Secretary of the Committee, Anna Gudge, sent all NBOs the minutes of our meeting in Monte Carlo ,in November 2004, in which one of the most important points was the decision to use the WBF WEB SITE, to be in contact, to communicate, to give and receive information.

Then I wrote in detail about the European Bridge Festival , hold in Vienna-Austria, in July 2004, transnational event,  open to all the players from all over the world. 

I sent a second letter , I asked all NBOs to inform us about the names and functions of the Women who have been appointed to specific positions within the Federations either in the Board, in the administrative capacity, public relations, etc. or as teachers or tournament Directors.

In a third letter , I informed the NBOs about the Rubrica 'Women Stars” in the WBF Web  Site. We have already, as you know, the biographies of Rixi Markus, Dorothy Truscott and Sabine Auken.

On this subject, you cannot imagine the number of answers that I received, words of appreciation and congratulations.

Pushing and pushing, at last, some of them are awaking and willing to enter in touch with us! At the same time they start speaking about the situation of the Women's Bridge in their Country and about what they are doing to develop and increase it.

I like to mention Countries like: Belgium- South Africa- Qatar- Macao- Curacao- Pakistan- Bangladesh- Lebanon- Jordan- Equador- BFAME (President Ghassan wrote personally to all BFAME NBOs, sending me a copy of his letter.)

So you see that we start to have some movement!

Of course, I will enter in contact with the NBOs of the 4  new  countries, affiliated to the WBF: Bosnia- Georgia- Korea- Serbia

In a few words we are actually 'marketing” Women in Bridge, and we should do all in our power, to do it in the best way.

NOW, ABOUT TODAY.

As you know, we had a WBF Women's Committee Meeting on November the 28th 2004.in Istambul- Turkey- Europe, during the Olympiad.

I would like to mention the names of the members of the Committee just to let you know how the Zones are perfectly represented:

Zone 1, Europe , myself as Chairman of the Committee

Zone 2, North America , Joan Gerard as vice-Chairman

Zone 3, South America , Ernesto D'Orsi

Zone 4, Asia and Middle East , Rehana Saigol, Yasmin Abu Jaber, Mazhar Jafri

Zone 5, Central America  and Caribbean , Mimi Bernazzani

Zone 6, Far East, Chen Zelan from China and Tadayoshi Nakatani from Japan

Zone 7, South Pacific, John Wignall

Zone 8, Africa , Lily Kalil.

Here, as annex, you can see the Agenda of the Meeting.

All the members, myself included, presented a report about the situation of the Women's Bridge in their Zones and specific Countries.

Only a few words about the report that I presented first, for Zone 1- Europe .

Speaking about the events that we organize in Europe , I said that, frankly, I am not satisfied with the number of the Women's Teams participating in the European Women Teams Championship.

Even though the Women Players in Europe are more numerous than the men, the Women's Teams, compared with the Open Teams, are less. I wrote and spoke to the Presidents, stressing the point that within the Olympic Movement all Sports are divided into separate events for Women and Men, and it's very important that the Women Players could have the opportunity to develop within their own field. I made a specific inquiry above all to the NBOs who did not send a Women's Team, asking the reason why. The answer, specially from some Eastern Countries, is always the same:

• The budget is not enough to send two teams 
• They have enough good players to form a National team
• Or no players good enough to compete in a Championship as important as the 'European”
• Lastly, they cannot afford the expense of sending a Women's Team to the European Championship and to the WBF Championship twice in the same year.

Another event that we organize, as you know, is the 'Eur opean Women's Bridge Festival', organized every two years, for the medium-ranked Women Players, not used to play abroad.    

This Festival was a Transnational event extended to the Women Bridge Players from all over the World, with Players coming not only from Europe, but also from Dubai(12)- China (8)- Japan- Iran- India.

During the prize-giving, in my speech, I pointed out that the principal reason for which the Festival exists is BRIDGE, even if mixed with touristic and social attractions. We work for Women's Bridge, we believe in it, according also to the IOC policy, in which Women are now much more important in every field.

I have no words to describe you the happy and warm atmosphere during all the period, the enthusiasm of the players, the friendship born among all of them and the wish to meet again, all together in the next event!

Josè Damiani, President of the World Bridge Federation, created a 'motto':

'BRIDGE FOR PEACE '. It is exactly what we mean to day. 

Peace  means tolerance, comprehension, understanding, willing to be together with people from different countries, to socialize with them.

Coming back from one of ours tours, in the bus, a charming lady from Dubai , May Hourani, took the microphone and said: 'I am very happy to be here, to have had the opportunity and the luck to meet you all coming from all over the world and to have become one of your friends....'                     

Well, thank you May, this is the real spirit of the Festival!!!    

What came out from the reports, that deserves your attention, is the big activity on the development of Women's Bridge made by Zone 4 ( Asia and Middle East), thanks to the efficiency of two very active and dynamic ladies: Rehana Saigol and Yasmine Abu-Jaber, with the support of Mazher Jafri.

China (Zone 6) also made enormous progress in this sector – this year they organized the 'China Cup” for the first time, a competition by invitation, only for Women's teams which was very successful and will be repeated every year.

The situation is normal for all the other Zones, except Zone5 – Central America and the Caribbean . The person responsible for the Zone, Mimi Bernazzani, said that for the moment there are no possibilities to do anything. A very large number of countries (22) - apart from Venezuela -  have no players and no money. She continues to write and to send messages, as do I, but nobody answers. The only possibility for Mimi is to contact personally all NBOs at the CAC Championships that will be held in Costa Rica in May 2005.

About the Zone 8-( Africa )  

the work that of course we must do is enormous, above all in the less developped countries. We find a lot of obstacles as a very conservative philosophy of life, consolidated since years and years in which the social position of the 'women' is quite inexistent  and the government's attitude is not interested on the problem. But, since the beginning of the Committee's activity, many African Countries are in contact with us, speaking about the situation of the Women Bridge in their Country, showing interest and asking for help, suggestions and information. In some Countries, on the contrary, Women Bridge is very popular, like Egipt, where there are 50- 60 tables twice a week, as Lily Kalil says, playing in a tournament.

Coming back from Istambul, I wrote another letter to all WBF NBO,s, advertising the 'European Open Bridge Championships' that will be held in the next June in Tenerife- Canary Islands-Europe. I asked them to help us to advertise this event in their country, since thie Championship in which will be disputed the 'WOMEN TEAMS and PAIRS', is TRANSNATIONAL and OPEN TO THE PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

 I intend with Anna,our Secretary,  to prepare a brochure, like the one that you saw on the WBF Web-Site for the Festival, specific on the 'WOMEN PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP'. that will be also published on our  SITE.

I strongly believe in an event where we have the participation of players coming from all over the world.

Last, we decided as you can see, to change something in the Rubrica - 'Women Stars', on our Web-Site, and to give you many more information. Please keep an eye on it!