|
The IBPA Personality of the Year
José Damiani (France)
In 1986 José Damiani was made IBPA Personality
of the Year. The IBPA has a tradition that no person may be made
their Personality of the Year more than once. But special circumstances
call for a special response.
The tragic events of 11th September in the USA
created the unique situation. Should the World Championships planned
over six years for Bali go ahead? The WBF's immediate and correct
response was to show backing for Bali and the hosts, Indonesia.
Bali was safe, Indonesia was ready to welcome all its guests.
But as the days went by, outside forces darkened, the US Government
advised its citizens not to travel to Indonesia, and teams from
more than one Zone stated their intention to withdraw.The WBF
bowed to the inevitable and, towards the end of September, announced
that the Championships would not be held in Bali.
The WBF then faced another difficult problem,
what to do now? The President decided, almost single-handed, to
switch the venue to Paris and hold the event at the planned time.The
decision was courageous Ð if it had failed he knew it would be
called foolhardy. Three weeks to plan a World Championship. Impossible!
The equipment was in a boat headed for Bali that had reached Singapore.
Playing accommodation and a hotel for 400 people had to be found,
the teams had to be persuaded to come to Paris, a hundred staff
had to be re-aligned. We know the result.
Last Monday, every team but, for very understandable
reasons, Pakistan, was present in the Stade de France on time.
In particular, to their very great credit, Indonesia came to Paris.
The WBF President had achieved three of his goals:
the Championships would go ahead; bridge was seen to be "for peace";
and as the venue was a rugby stadium, bridge was clearly a sport!
There must have been little sleep for the organisers in the three
weeks before the championships began.
There is a saying "Cometh the hour, cometh the
man".That is why we are breaking tradition and making our Personality
for the Year, for the second time, José Damiani.
The IBPA Sportsmanship Award
An occasional award made for acts away from the table that earn
the admiration of fellow bridge-players
Andrew Robson (GB)
In January this year Zia Mahmood and Andrew Robson
retained their title in what many rate to be the world's toughest
Pairs tournament, the Cap Gemini. Robson, happily married with
a young child, a successful bridge club in London, and a bridge
column in one of the world's most respected newspapers, the London
Times, was a man to be envied.
Less than a month later fate dealt a cruel blow.
Hill-walking was one of Andrew's favourite pastimes. Relaxing
in England's beautiful Lake District, he left his wife and child
at the hotel, and went for a walk on his own. Slipping on black
ice, he fell some thirty feet down a ravine. He was too badly
injured to use his mobile 'phone. After some hours, he was fortunately
seen by another walker, who called the Wasdale Mountain Rescue
Team. He was flown by RAF helicopter to the Lake District hospital.
The list of his injuries was horrific. It would
be quicker to name the bones which were not broken! His future
was in jeopardy. But the good news was that the brain was undamaged.To
a bridge-player that meant the other problems had a longterm solution.
After five months of intensive and courageous
recuperation, Robson's recovery confounded the medics. He took
to the bridge-table again at the American Nationals in July with
distinction. He has renewed a partnership with Tony Forrester
that, ten years ago, was Britain's best-known.Their team has reached
the last four of the England's Trials to determine England's representatives
for next year's Europeans.
For his spectacular recovery from adversity we
give our Sportmanship Award to Andrew Robson.
Robson became World Junior Champion in 1989,
and won the Macallan Pairs in 1990 with Tony Forrester. In 1991
he was European Team champion.
Article and Photos extracted
from the October 31, 2001 Championship Daily Bulletin, Co-ordinator:
Jean Paul Meyer - Editor: Mark Horton - Assistant Editors: Brent
Manley & Brian Senior French Editor: Guy Dupont - Layout Editor:
Stelios Hatzidakis - Photographer: Ron Tacchi
COMPLETE
IBPA AWARDS ARTICLE in PDF form can be obtained by clicking here
Main Championship News Page
Click
Here
|
