National Bridge League Secures Venue from Ruparelia Foundation

The fourth National Bridge League started on Saturday, boosted by new sponsors for both its divisions: National Bridge-1 and National Bridge-2.

Both leagues got main sponsors from the Ruparelia Foundation and Plascon, and the Uganda Bridge Federation, with help from the Ruparelia Foundation, also secured Kampala Parents School as the venue for the league games.

Speaking to the press after officially opening the day’s matches and handing over the competition venue, Jyotsna Ruparelia said it was incredibly rewarding to see our younger generation, particularly in Uganda and at universities, getting into the game. The league will now be called the Ruparelia Foundation Bridge League.

“I truly believe schools should start incorporating it. Bridge is a wonderfully calming game that you can enjoy throughout your life. It involves a lot of etiquette, so it's not about running around and shouting; it's a quiet game that really makes you think,” she said.

Jyotsna Ruparelia (left) chats with students after playing a demonstration game before the start of the Ruparelia Foundation National Bridge League at Kampala Parents School. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“Therefore, I strongly recommend that all schools and universities introduce bridge. Parents should also introduce it to their siblings and children at home, as it's a great activity.”

She promised to support the sport whenever called upon and thanked the federation technical person, Reagan Egulwa and the president, Linus Wamanya, for their efforts in spreading its reach.

“I'm hoping to get involved again next year as part of the team. I'll always be there in the background, ready to help out if needed. I'm also really pleased with our Kampala Bridge Club for their strong support, and I'm proud of all the universities for giving players enough time to come and compete,” Jyotsna stated.

Wamanya thanked the Ruparelia Foundation for the offer and said it motivated their push to popularise the mind sport.

“It's been a few years since we started promoting bridge in this country, and we've seen a lot of amazing progress, especially from the young people who are getting interested,” Wamanya said.

“The main hurdle we faced initially was changing people's perceptions; we had to convince them it wasn't a gambling activity, even though they see it played everywhere in Kampala and across Uganda. We've managed to overcome that, and the progress has been really impressive.”

Jyotsna Ruparelia (right) chats with Reagan Egulwa (centre) and Linus Wamanya before the start of the Ruparelia Foundation National Bridge League at Kampala Parents School. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

He praised the veterans who introduced the sport to the country and for being the driving force behind bridge in Uganda. He said both the African Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation fully back the initiative.

“The World Bridge Federation is committed to helping us elevate bridge to an exceptional level. What's particularly special is that Uganda is the only African nation actively participating in bridge. Out of the seven African countries involved in the sport, Uganda stands out. Furthermore, in a historic first for bridge globally, we've had the opportunity to compete in the World Championship held in China. As the only black country competing, this achievement is a significant source of motivation for us.”

The Principal of Kampala Parents School, Daphine Kato, said that as a school, they are always ready to help people use some of their facilities through the Ruparelias.

“Our memories to the late Rajiv. He was a great, great friend, and we've been told he loved this game of Bridge so much. Whatever was liked by children, you'd find Rajiv already there,” she said.

“Our school is going to join very soon, because it is really training children in critical thinking, especially this competence-based curriculum we are talking about. These are the things: a child thinks, acts, what I have liked; the actions.”

In the opening weekend action, the KBC Blue Pearls, comprising Hitesh Shah, Jayesh Mehta, Bhavana Dhata and Hiral Vyas, won two games for 39.85 Victory Points (VPs) to top the standings ahead of the Ndejje Mavericks with 33.12 VPs.

In the Plascon Bridge League-2, MUK Bridge Society collected 54.69VPs ahead of Ndejje Iron Lillies, who managed 50.86.