Bhubaneswar, November 17: The three-day 47th All India Railways Bridge Championship kicked off at the Railway Indoor Stadium in Mancheswar here. This is the first time East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been entrusted with organising this national event on behalf of the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB).

ECoR Additional General Manager B. S. K. Rajkumar inaugurated the event.

Addressing officers and participants, the AGM expressed pride in ECoR’s role in facilitating an event that brings together some of the finest talent from across Indian Railways. The support of the Odisha Bridge Association has added further strength to the hosting of this prestigious championship.

Teams from Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway, Metro Railway, Central Railway, and East Coast Railway are participating. The event has drawn some of India’s top bridge players, including Sumit Mukherjee, Debabrata Majumder, Sagnik Roy, Gopinath Manna, Sayantan Kusuri, and Sandeep Datta who have represented India in international tournaments such as the Asian Games, Commonwealth Championships, and the World Cup.

The championship features multiple events, including Team Events, Board-A Matches, and Pairs Competitions. A key highlight is that the tournament will also serve as the official selection trial for the Indian Railways Bridge Team, which will represent Indian Railways in national level championships.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by senior officers and representatives of the sports fraternity, including East Coast Railway Sports Association (ECORSA) president Hemant Kagra.