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Farewell
from the President
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
This tournament, the first EOC Bridge
Tournament - CA-IB Trophy
- has been a very special one. Yesterday bridge was officially
presented to the delegates of the European Olympic Committees
during their General Assembly, which is a vitally important
step towards achieving our goal that bridge becomes a fully
recognised Olympic sport. Present at this General Assembly
were the President and General Secretary of
each of the 48 European Olympic Committees, IOC President
Samaranch and 38 IOC members,
as well as many press observers. There were representatives
of all the countries which are candidates to host future summer,
winter and youth Olympic Games. Last week we contacted those
responsible for organising Turin
2006 and we are confident about being present there. The way
ahead is long and the work to do is difficult, but we hope
to achieve our goal.
The tournament itself provided the opportunity
for the EOC President, Mr. Rogge,
the EOC General Secretary, Mr.
Pescante, and other influential members to see first
hand exactly what is involved in a bridge tournament, with
all its highly technological aspects (Vu-Graph, duplicating
hands, Internet, etc.).
All this will surely help those European
Bridge Federations who have not yet been recognised by their
own National Olympic Committees. We will send to all NBOs
a disk copy of the presentation made to the EOC General Assembly
so they may use it in their contact with their respective
National Olympic Committees.
The EOC Tournament is a first
and it is planned that it will take place every year from
now on at the same time as the EOC General Assembly.
The European Bridge League sees this tournament as
being similar to that of the IOC Grand Prix in Lausanne.
All present here (players, NBO Officers,
staff, sponsors) have made a significant contribution to furthering
the progress of bridge on the Olympic road and for that I
am truly grateful. Without you this event could not have taken
place.
I would particularly like to thank you,
Mrs. Alicja Kornasiewicz, and
your colleagues at CA-IB, for
sponsoring this event. I have great pleasure in presenting
you with a small momento as a sign of friendship and of the
appreciation of the European Bridge League.
My thanks also to all at the Polish
Bridge Union who have worked so hard to organise this
tournament, especially to their new President and my
EBL colleague Mr. Radek Kielbasinski,
who has spent an incredible amount of time and effort on the
organisation. Thanks to Anna Maria Torlontano
and Panos Gerontopoulos, members
of the Executive Committee of the EBL for their
support in running the Tournament and also to my friends,
Federation Presidents David Harris
and Franz Kriftner, who kindly
attended.
Finally my thanks to you players, the
true protagonists of the
event, who once again, with your behaviour and fair play,
have demonstrated how in fact the sport of bridge has the
right to a place in the great Olympic family.
Thank you all for participating, for
your help and support and for making this 1st
EOC Tournament
a success.
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