Introducing bridge to problem-solving children will take it forward, believes coach Joyjit Sensarma

Mumbai, Nov 17 (PTI) Introducing contract bridge to children with a flair for problem-solving will help boost the game's growth and popularity, believes player and coach Joyjit Sensarma.

Sensarma was India’s coach in last year’s Asian Games wherein they won the silver medal, adding to the gold and two bronze won in the 2018 edition when bridge made its debut.

Sensarma, who recently coached the USA seniors' team -- boasting a combined tally of 38 world championships and the same team that edged out India for the gold medal in the World Bridge Olympiad in Argentina -- acknowledges the complexities of the sport.

However, he remains optimistic about attracting new talent to the game.

“Once we explain it to particularly young kids who have that knack for problem-solving — because this ultimately is a game of problem-solving — I have found that they will take more and more interest,” Sensarma told PTI in an exclusive interview when asked how to make bridge more popular here at the Bombay Gymkhana.

“The Bridge Federation of India is doing a lot of work in reaching out to schools and colleges and we are actively promoting this game. We are seeing some good responses, but it can always be better,” he said.

Sensarma said excelling in this sport requires a lot of time and dedication.

“Bridge is actually a difficult game, in a way. It's not very spectator-friendly,” he said.

“The rules of the game may be pretty simple, it's a simple trick-taking game. But for you to realise the intricacies of the game, the learning curve is huge. It is not like a teenager picking up this game and within three years, because he's a prodigy, he becomes the best in the world.

“This particular game has got its own set of challenges (and) because of this, across the globe, we are struggling to induct new people, particularly the youth. Yes, there are a lot of people who play this game. But the learning curve is so much that to make it into a profession, it becomes a struggle.” Sensarma said the veterans in the game carry the responsibility of spreading the game.

“We, who have been pioneers of the game in every country, we need to make our individual effort going and teach and work with people. We senior people, (who can) spend a lot of time in promoting the game locally wherever we are…” he said.

“The other side of it is because of the complexity of the game. Let’s say if bridge is being shown on TV, most people will not understand. I have also seen that it does not get coverage from media, so the reach out is (also) not much.” Sensarma says while the game remains complex by nature, it teaches qualities of team-work and working in partnership.

“Bridge is a mind sport, which even the computer has not been able to crack. Why is it important within this context, because unlike other mind sports, which are primarily individualistic in nature,” he said.

“There's a skill set requirement. (In) chess for an example, there are a lot of good players but ultimately it's an individual game. The computers far outranks the human beings. However, in bridge, it's a game of partnership.” Sensarma, who quit his job in the IT industry and has pursued his passion for bridge as a player and coach, says coaching in this sport still remains very exclusive.

“I realised that there are areas where players need external support. I was looking for it all over the world (but) the type of support that I really wanted was actually not available anywhere,” he said.

“This is literally a field which has not been explored at all. Almost everything, what do the players want, how can I help them with the training, is a process that was developed right from scratch.” So how did he end up coaching the USA? "One of the partnership of the US team, Reese Milner and Hemant Lall (with whom) I have been working with them since 2018. When they got selected, Milner asked me if I would like to work with the entire team," he said. PTI DDV ATK