The Nippon Electric Corporation (NEC) is a Japanese company established over a century ago and today specialised in computers and communication technology. Since many years they are sponsors of bridge; from 1989 to 1995 they even supported Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup and Olympiad. The NEC Cup is a yearly team event established in 1995 by the Japan Contract Bridge League (JCBL) and supported by them. The 2013 edition is the eighteenth; it will be played at Pacifico Yokohama from April 16sh to 21th; the format is by round robins, then thirty-two hand knock-out matches.
Last year’s winners were the Australia-New Zealand team “Down Under“, with Sartaj Hans, Tony Nunn, Martin Reid, Peter Newell, before the Bulgarian “All Stars” Valio Kovachev, Vladi Isporski, Manol Iliev, Hristo Hristov.
Both these teams are here, now, and other two Australian teams are arriving; Australia Youth, with Justin Howard, Peter Hollands, Michael Whibley, and Liam Milne, and, less young but by no means old, Oz Players: Ron Klinger, Matt Mullamphy, Bill Jacobs, Ben Thompson. Ron Klinger is a famous journalist and author; his “Guide to better card play” in 1991 won the American Bridge Teachers’ Association Book-of-the-Year Award; in 2009 another book, “Right through the Pack again”, won the International Bridge Press Association Book of the Year. This team has another author: Bill Jacobs wrote “Fantunes Revealed”, a description of the Fantoni-Nunes’ system which he plays with Thompson.
Another young team – but not longer junior – is that of the American Curtis Cheek, Joe Grue, Joel Wooldridge, Johnny Hurd, Justin Lall, Ishmael Del’Monte (USA).
Young also are Jacek Kalita and Jessica Piafsky, with Michael Nowsadzki and Dominik Fillipaiiczin, in Israel Team.
In 2011 won the Anglo-Holland Neduk Team, with David Bakshi, David Gold, Jan Jansma, Ricco van Prooijen. Neduk is here as well.
Also there’s Lavazza (Maria Teresa Lavazza, Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Guido Ferraro, Agustin Madala, Antonio Sementa); they won the NEC in 2010 defeating Zimmermann in final. Lavazza is playing the Yeh Bros Cup as well, the two-yearly team event sponsored by Mr. Chen Yeh, which will take place immediately after; therefore Lavazza will be present at Italian Championship, from April 25th to 28th, with different players: Bompis-Quantin and Astore-Cerreto.
England is represented also by Pharon, a financial company founded by Roger O’Shea, a bridgeplayer. The team lines up Tom Hanlon and the Manchester’s Hackett family (dad Paul and the twins Jason and Justin won twice the NEC).
In the third English team there are Sandra Penfold, Nevena Senior, Roumen Trendafilov and Brian Senior (England). The last one is a very important author often quoted by Neapolitan Club; his “The all time best deals. Bermuda Bowl”, written with Henry Francis, is a masterpiece of bridge technique and human stories.
Sabine Auken and Roy Welland are coming to Japan withouth Morten and Dennis Bilde, with whom they triumphed in Vanderbilt, but together Reese Milner, Heamont Lall, Michael Kwiecien, and Jacek Pszczola (Mixted)
There are many Japanese teams, of course, but only one from South Korea, Seoul; it must be said that the Korean Contract Bridge League has only 220 registered members, so it’s a anyway a great participation. Go ahead, Seoul! Neapolitan Club is cheering for you! Their names: Hiroki Yokoi, Hye Young Kim, Hyemin Oh, Yasuhiro Shimizu, Nobuyuki Hayashi.
All the teams and further information at official web site >>
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Paolo Enrico Garrisi