Masterpoint reports

The annual Master Point reports are available to view online. Congratulations to Tim Rees for winning the Sunday Telegraph Salver for the most points in the year (followed by Ed Scerri and Clive Owen). Tim also leads the Gold Point ranking list, ahead of David Bakhshi and Michael Byrne.
Top scorers of 2008
Gold Point ranking list
All time top scorers
Full index of county by county lists

Lords V Commons match 2008

View Andrew Robson's report here.

Tom Bradley Award 2008

The Tom Bradley Award is assigned each year to a non-school teacher for services to the teaching of bridge in England.

DR BOMI KAVARANA, age 75, from Tadworth, Surrey has been awarded the Tom Bradley Award for services to the teaching of bridge in his county for 2008. The award was presented to Bomi by Christine Duckworth on behalf of the EBU.

Bomi has been interested in card play since his early days in Mumbai, playing rummy with his Zoroastrian aunts and uncles. He studied at Sheffield University where he first started to play whist and then bridge without much knowledge of the ACOL system after he watched it being played during the lunch hour.

After graduating with a BSc and a PhD, Bomi joined Watson House (British Gas R & D) in London, and took the game more seriously. He played in the Hammersmith & District and London Business Houses Leagues with a fair amount of success and occasionally in open EBU events. Bomi was later secretary/treasurer of the Hammersmith District League for over 20 years until he retired in 1993. Presently, he is chairman of the H & D League.

In 1980, Bomi undertook the EBU's Teachers Diploma Course at the London School of Bridge under the supervision of Alan Hiron and passed the written and oral examinations with GCH Fox as examiner.

In 1997, Bomi applied to become Surrey County Youth Officer, because as he says: “I wanted to be able to give something back to a game that I have enjoyed for so long and so much. This seemed the best way.” During the 12 years that he has been the CYO, Surrey has had 10 annual bridge events for schools, and in 2008 he introduced the first one-day bridge teach-in for young people (photos can be seen here). Presently, Bomi teaches three times a week at schools across Surrey.

In his free time, Bomi enjoys rowing which he takes very seriously, wines, travelling and painting.

Facts:
Who was Tom Bradley?
About the award

World Mind Sports Games 2008

The England Womens team have won Gold and the England Open Team have won Silver in Beijing! This follows the successful Silver won by our U21 team.

Well done to all the players, Coaches and Captains. We are all very proud.

• Full results
• Read the Press Release
• See photos of the teams with medals

Dimmie Fleming Awards 2008

The English Bridge Union is proud to announce that the following have been awarded the prestigious Dimmie Fleming award for services to bridge. The awards are made specifically to publicly recognise those who have worked hard promoting bridge locally at County and Club level.

The winners for 2008 are:
Stan Harding - Hertfordshire
Roy Hughes - Lincolnshire
Roger Amey - Norfolk
Philip Wraight - Westmorland

Facts:
Who was Dimmie Fleming?
About the award

Past Winners:
2007 winners
2006 winners
2003 winners

EGM 2008 results

At the EGM of the English Bridge Union on Wednesday June 4th the Members voted on the Board's pay to play proposals, which will be implemented from April 1st, 2010; during the intervening period there will be no changes to existing methods of subscription. The resolution stated:-

‘that the Shareholders accept the principle of Universal Membership and approve the Board proposals for replacing the current Annual Subscription and Master Point income by a pay to play fee as outlined in the "Strategy for the future of the EBU and Duplicate Bridge in England” dated April 2008. If so approved the Board will commission the changes necessary to the Bye-Laws of The English Bridge Union and request a future General Meeting to accept those changes’

The voting results were 52 in favour 31 against with two abstentions and one voter not present due to last minute personal problems. The votes of each county were taken in a public poll and recorded here.