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2008 results

The 20th edition on the International Tournament of Monaco ended with the victory of the Starsbridge team (R. Zaleski, J.C. Quantin, M. Bompis and D. Pilon) over the Funbridge team that was made up of young French players (L. Sebbane, F. Volcker, O. Bessis and J. Gaviard). The result of the final was uncertain until the very last hand was played.

l’équipe Starsbridge

l’équipe funbridge

The third and fourth-placed teams were the Tardy team (S. Tardy, X. Michaud-Larivière, M. Barety and M. Marchandise) and the Lavazza team (G. Duboin, N. Bocchi, A. Sementa and A. Madala), respectively.

46 teams took part in this year’s tournament including not only French, Italian and Polish teams, who honour us with their participation year after year, but also Lithuanian and Estonian teams who had already made the trip the year before to represent their countries on the occasion of the First Games of the Small Federations that were also held in Monaco.

During the closing ceremony, the Monegasque Bridge Federation took the opportunity to honour a number of Bridge personalities who have contributed to the success of the tournament by taking part in all its editions. The personalities who were honoured were: José Damiani, Chairman of the WBF, Ms. Lavazza, Captain of the Italian team and Jacques Balleret, MBF Secretary General. Next, several exceptional champions who contributed to the history of Bridge were also honoured. They were; the Italian Norberto Bocchi, the French Hervé Mouïel, the Polish Apek Kowalski and the Bulgarian Jerry Stamatov.

Subsequently, Chairman José Damiani congratulated the organisers of this 20th edition prior to awarding MBF board members, Pierre Crovetto, Chairman; Jean-Charles Allavena, Deputy Chairman and Jacques Balleret, Secretary General, with the WBF 50th Anniversary Medal. This medal was awarded for Monaco’s hosting of several events over recent years such as, the 1996 European Mixed Championships, the 2003 Bermuda Bowl and the 2007 Games of the Small Federations. Mr. Damiani also gave a copy of the medal to Mr. Henri Fissore for HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, thanking him for the hospitality and support the Principality of Monaco has always extended for the hosting of major Bridge tournaments. Other such medals were also awarded to, Mr. Romain Zaleski, Captain of the French Team in Beijing and a sponsor of French Bridge, and to Mr. Manuel Capucho, co-organiser of several international championships together with the Portuguese Bridge Federation and a frequent traveller to Monaco Bridge events.

Finally, before Mr. Patrick Chalard, the tournament’s technical director awarded prizes, Mr. Roger Damelé, Chaiman of the “Festivals du Soleil”, delivered a short speech to remind attendees of the existence of a specific association regrouping the main bridge events that take place in the South of France (Cannes, Juan les Pins, La Grande Motte and Avignon) and that Monaco has now also joined.

In the IMP Pairs tournament, the pair composed of Nicole Curetti and Jean Le Poder prevailed over the Fabienne Pigeaud - Marie-Thérèse Gayet pair and the Vytautas Vainikonis – Wojtek Olanski pair.