EUROPEAN BRIDGE LEAGUE

Gianarrigo Rona
President

21 March 2003

Dear President and friend,

1st EUROPEAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
MENTON, FRANCE - 14-28 June 2003

As you know, the Championship will take place at the Palais de l’Europe in Menton, Côte d’Azur, France, from 14th to 28th June 2003. The Member of the EBL Executive Committee in charge for your country has already contacted you and we sent you the leaflet with all the useful information and the Rules and Regulations. May I remind you in any case that you can find all the information on the EBL web-site (www.eurobridge.org).

The organisational work is in progress and is proceeding very well. Menton and the Palais de l’Europe will be able to welcome all the participants and accompanying guests. We hope that the event will be a great success: many bridge friends, not only from Europe but also from the other WBF Zones, will attend the Championship to enjoy all together this extraordinary event.

As I already said in Telecittà at the Seminar last October, the Executive Committee of the EBL and I personally are proud to have succeeded, through no small amount of effort, in introducing this new event, organised not for but with the NBOs. As I have already previously mentioned, the participants and those accompanying them will have the chance to visit beautiful Menton and the enchanting Cote d’Azur.

May I repeat that the Championship is an instrument that the Federations can use in a fruitful way for the greater promotion of bridge in their countries, acting as a stimulus to all their members who will have the chance to compete on an international level, not as anonymous participants at a Festival or Tournament, but representing their own country at an official event which awards a title and medal.

One of the primary objectives of each Federation is to increase the technical level of its members and by obtaining this, encourage participation at international events.

The experience gained in these events not only improves the technical level and knowledge of play by encountering the other different cultures, but also offers the participants incommensurable gratification which would be difficult to experience elsewhere. The gratification and satisfaction transform into a resonance box. The player who has participated becomes the best promoter of our discipline and his enthusiasm, also unconsciously, will create others too.

The EBL Executive Committee and I are convinced that you will have already publicised the event within your Federation and right now I wish to express to you and your colleagues our appreciation and gratitude for this: as (and more than) usual your help is very important in publicising the Championship and its success depends exclusively on your strong co-operation.

I hope that there will be a large entry from your Federation in Menton and I look forward to seeing you there, where, furthermore, the EBL General Assembly for the election of the EBL Officers for the next four years term will be held.

All the best to you and your Federation.

Yours sincerely,

Gianarrigo Rona