‘Lack of coaches, taboo hurdles in promotion of bridge’

NAGPUR: At a time when popular sports like cricket or badminton are driven by mass following, hero worship and thrill factor, bridge stands alone with its quiet, pensive, and out-of-reach appeal. Mumbai-based businessman Arvind Vaidya, who has been playing competitive bridge for more than 33 years now, throws light on why bridge matters and the obstacles in the way of promoting the game in schools. Vaidya is also a trainer, possibly one of only three such people in the country, and has coached about 1,000 people in the game -- offline and online.

Not many youngsters are taking up bridge, why?

Unlike chess, where 8+ kids actively start learning and playing the game professionally, bridge needs maturity, which comes with age. So, a 12-year-old may start playing bridge but success doesn’t come instantly. It is a partnership game, which needs to be built over a period of time. Secondly, the age-old taboo that bridge equals gambling, holds back many from learning the game. In India, the 16 to 21 age group is considered very busy because of studies and career concerns. Even if a boy picks up the game at 13 or 14 at school, he is bound to face hurdles in growing as a player after 16. The prime segment for picking up the game and flourishing in it is 26 to 45 years. This is when you are financially settled and are in a position to pursue it, or give it up at any stage.

Is it true that bridge isn’t growing because not many professionals are retiring?

It is true. Badminton or cricket or chess players are nurtured at a young age by veterans in the game who have retired. Here, hardly anybody retires. The older you are, the better you get in bridge. I would say there are not more than three full-time coaches in the country today. So, active players shoulder the responsibility of bringing in new talent.

As a coach, how do you approach the youngsters?

It doesn’t matter how well you are coached, no matter how brilliant you are... unless you have the desire to play the game you won’t progress. A young player needs to ask himself: “Does it give me happiness?” I have trained roughly 1,000 people and about 50% of them took it seriously. My teaching is simple: Do not decide for any when what type of bridge they should play -- just create awareness and provide facilities.

How has online bridge changed the scene?

It has definitely given the option of playing the game without really going to the venue. Bridge Base Online (BBO) helped those who cannot go to venues due to distance, age, financial constraints etc. At any moment, you may find 20,000 to 50,000 people playing online.

Does bridge help kids with academics? If yes, can it be promoted in schools?

Bridge makes them attentive because it demands extreme concentration. The game enhances thinking process, orientation, the ability to analyze available data, partnership spirit. Only thing a kid needs is a flair for cards, card combinations. The nodal authorities of school zones or the federation of international, national schools need to take a call on promoting bridge. The thought will then percolate down to schools and its popularity will increase.