PANAJI: The Indian Women’s “A” team has successfully advanced to the semifinals of the ongoing 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championship, currently being held at the Taj Cidade de Goa. The squad—comprising Varalakshmi Periasamy, Sumathi Iyer, Ameeta Raythatha, Vasanti Shah, Asha Sharma, and Puja Batra—secured the third position in the overall rankings at the conclusion of the 9th round of the Swiss league.
Displaying fine acumen in their final league match, the Indian Women “A” players delivered an overwhelming performance against Hong Kong China “B”. They collected a massive 19.83 Victory Points (VPs) against a mere 0.17 VPs by their opponents, comfortably paving their way into the knockout stages. Conversely, the Indian Women “B” team struggled, finishing at the bottom of the table with 69.98 VPs.
Women’s Division League Standings (Top 4 Qualifiers)
| Team | Rank | Victory Points (VPs) |
| China | 1st | 127.61 |
| Indonesia | 2nd | 108.23 |
| India “A” | 3rd | 105.39 |
| Japan | 4th | 89.14 |
Seniors and Men’s Divisions
In the Seniors section, the Indian “B” team showcased dominance by maintaining their top position at the end of the 10th round with 126.63 VPs. They currently hold a solid lead over second-placed Australia (115.15 VPs) and third-placed Chinese Taipei (110.89 VPs).
Meanwhile, both Indian Men’s squads improved their standings after the 11th round, moving firmly into the top four:
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India “A”: Climbed to the 3rd spot with 134.95 VPs after earning 13.96 VPs against Thailand’s 6.04 VPs in their latest match.
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India “B”: Secured the 4th spot with 134.81 VPs, despite a tough round against Japan where they managed only 3.79 VPs compared to Japan’s 16.21 VPs.
China continues to rule the Men’s proceedings at the top with 152.06 VPs, followed by Hong Kong China “A” in second with 145.95 VPs. An unfancied Bangladesh squad has also improved its standing, taking the fifth position with 129.13 VPs.
Mixed Event Standings
Living up to their top billing, China remains a dominant force in the Mixed event. Following the 11th round, China “A” and China “B” occupy the first and second places with 143.01 and 138.83 VPs, respectively. They are trailed by Hong Kong China (126.65 VPs) and Australia “A” (117.98 VPs).
For the host nation, India “B” is currently placed in the 7th position with 109.03 VPs, while the India “A” team trails in the 12th spot with 93.77 VPs.
