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India established a powerful competitive foothold in the seniors category while remaining firmly in contention across all premier divisions at the conclusion of Day 2 of the 5th Bonus Asia Cup Bridge Championships 2026 at the Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon.
Recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the marquee tournament features nearly 300 elite players across 46 teams from 16 nations, according to an official https://x.com/ANI/status/2069595373782606048?s=20release. India A Seniors delivered a stellar performance, anchoring the first round robin at the top of the leaderboard with 87.25 Victory Points (VPs), maintaining an edge over second-placed Thailand on 77.48 VPs. Australia sits in third with 77.24 VPs, followed closely by Japan on 76.47 VPs. India B Seniors finished the day just outside the top tier in sixth place with 75.60 VPs, tracking within striking distance of Chinese Taipei on 75.50 VPs. Both Indian squads remain prime contenders for semi-final qualification as the second round robin begins tomorrow. In the Open Teams division, China continues to lead with 100.88 VPs. Hong Kong China A holds second with 100.20 VPs, while a resilient India B squad has pushed into third place with 97.15 VPs. India A sits directly behind in fourth with 90.40 VPs. Japan on 87.80 VPs and Korea on 87.40 VPs remain locked in the chasing pack. The Mixed Teams standings saw China A and China B consolidate their dominance at the top with 106.98 VPs and 102.31 VPs. Hong Kong China A remains safe in third with 96.25 VPs. The fourth qualifying spot is heavily contested, with Thailand currently holding the position with 85.20 VPs, followed by Chinese Taipei on 81.11 VPs, and India B battling hard with 80.53 VPs. In the Women's Teams category, defending continental force Indonesia leads with 84.31 VPs, followed by China on 79.85 VPs. Hong Kong China B holds third with 67.77 VPs, while India A and Japan are locked in a razor-thin contest for the remaining semi-final tickets with 63.00 VPs and 62.60 VPs, respectively. The qualification rounds continue daily until June 25, functioning as a filter before the top four teams in each division advance to the semi-finals. Sudden-death knockout play and the Pairs Qualifying Series begin on June 26, culminating in the Grand Finals and closing ceremony on Saturday, June 27. (ANI)
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