World Bridge European qualifiers rocked by Fantoni’s inclusion

KARACHI: The ongoing European qualifiers for the Bermuda Bowl World Bridge Championship 2022, currently taking place completely online because of Covid-19, have been rocked following the inclusion of the controversial Fulvio Fantoni in the hosts Italy line-up.

According to details, the Scottish team refused to play the Italian team on the opening day of the qualifiers, resulting in their 0-12 defeat.

Wales, Slovenia, Lithuania, Ukraine and seven other nations were reported to have declined to play Italy, with the same dire consequences for their ranking.

Italy, as the host country, have already qualified for the Bermuda Bowl 2022, scheduled to be held from March 27 to April 9 in Salsomaggiore Terme.

The inclusion of Fantoni, accused of cheating in the past, angered the other participating countries although the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had overturned his convictions.

Scotland were the first to express concerns, along with the great Norwegian player Brogeland and Germany’s Auken-Welland. All three resigned from their respective teams in protest.