Of two minds

Two of the best bridge players in the world are Egyptian. National team member Mona Choucri looks at how they got that far

---

Egyptians Walid El-Ahmadi and Tarek Sadek have much in common. Both are engineers, are in their mid-forties, and are business partners in the software development field.

And both have become established world class bridge players.

In the Cavendish Pairs in Las Vegas, the strongest international event of its kind anywhere, El-Ahmadi and Sadek finished second twice in succession, a truly remarkable feat for a country with no particular history in the game. Omar Sharif did manage to put bridge in the Egyptian vocabulary, giving it meaning other than a flyover. But now comes a dynamic duo challenging the best in the game from Europe and the United States. And also from Pakistan and China, not previously considered serious threats, players are emerging, challenging and vying for the top spots.

Only recognised, highly talented world class players were invited to compete in the May 2002 Cavendish Invitational Pairs Competition in Las Vegas, US. It took stubborn determination to finally allow El-Ahmadi and Sadek to enter, and even that was at the last minute. Overcoming several administrative, logistical and other obstacles, amongst which was the financial obligations for the event, they determinedly went ahead. The result was truly a triumph. El-Ahmadi and Sadek ended up as runners-up and amazed everyone there by their competence and talent. It was in Las Vegas that they received the nickname the "Pharaohs."

The following year they were automatically invited to Cavendish and again finished second. Alan Truscott wrote in The New York Times on 15 May 2003: "Runners-up for the second year, surprising the pundits each time, were Tarek Sadek and Walid El- Ahmadi of Egypt, the only players in the field of 50 pairs who are from outside the United States and Europe."

Since then El-Ahmadi and Sadek have become established world class players and have won, together or with other partners, several prestigious titles worldwide and significantly contributed in putting Egypt on the world bridge map.

El-Ahmadi and Sadek started playing bridge in their teens, at first playing the game as unsophisticated novices without any proper knowledge of the basics, such as bidding, hand-play, defence, systems and rules. But as their interest and enthusiasm for this mind challenging sport grew, they decided to take it seriously and learn as much as they could about the proper way of playing. El-Ahmadi began ardently reading and studying numerous books about bridge, enriching his knowledge regarding established bridge systems, the strategies of the game and extending his awareness of the endless variations and percentages involved.

"We would sit and discuss for hours the pros and cons of one system versus the other, or how the odds favoured a particular hand-play or defence technique," El-Ahmadi said. "Playing serious bridge involves a great deal of hard work and building a solid partnership requires both players to have a thorough understanding of their system and a "no doubts" mutual trust between them -- critical decisions that often have to be made during play are based on this understanding between the partners."

For several years El-Ahmadi and Sadek regularly played bridge tournaments in several sports clubs (Gezira, Heliopolis, Shams, Heliolido) gradually widening their experience and quickly establishing themselves in the Egyptian bridge community as the rising junior stars who eventually surpassed their peers. The pair was selected for the Egyptian national bridge team and have been representing Egypt since the mid- 80s in zone, Olympiad and world championships.

When asked what his hopes were for the game in Egypt, El-Ahmadi said he would like to see the largest possible number of people in Egypt learn the game and start playing it, especially young people. Extensive written material is available to newcomers as well as many Web sites that provide all the essentials to learn the game. Regular weekly tournaments are played in Cairo and Alexandria at various clubs which have established bridge schools. Private coaching is also available for beginners and intermediates.

Both wholeheartedly wish that Egypt wins the coveted titles of the Olympiad and the World Championship one day.

But what to them is the major difference between the Egyptian team and, for example, the Italians who won the Olympiad championship held in Turkey last year? What have they got that we haven't? Sadek diplomatically pointed out that where talent, know-how and strategy were concerned, Egypt is as good as any of the leading teams. The difference, as he sees it, is that overseas players are professionals, sponsored by their country's multinationals with all the financial backing needed to enable the players to dedicate themselves full time to perfecting the game. This perfection requires year-round training, competing internationally on a regular basis, a high calibre of coaching and total dedication.

In Egypt, there are no such luxuries. While bridge is a mind-stimulating, challenging, inexpensive and highly enjoyable social sport it is not widely known or played nor is it high on any major company's sponsorship agenda. None of the national team members are professionals -- they must work for a living doing other things. The rigorous training programme they undergo before major event must be in the evenings, after work, and on weekends. This sport, at world class level, requires players to be totally focussed and alert. The drain on the mind is particularly heavy and the strain extensive. It requires tremendous mental and physical stamina to be able to retain a constant level of concentration for several hours, competing all the while against players who are professionals at their game.

El-Ahmadi and Sadek have proven to have these extraordinary qualities and it is all the more remarkable because they achieved such noteworthy status when just amateurs. They reached the top using the tools at their disposal, their own financial resources and relying on their inbred talent, dedication to their favourite sport, and the ardent desire to see Egypt first.

Praise for the pair

Tarek Sadek and Walid El-Ahmadi, above, are two of Egypt's best bridge players who have in the past three years achieved world class recognition. In articles published in The New York Times Alan Truscott had this to say about the duo:

"In the last two years Tarek Sadek and Walid El-Ahmadi have emerged unexpectedly from Egypt. Perhaps they have not previously made a mark in world team competition because of a lack of playing depth in their country. In the 2002 Cavendish Pairs in Las Vegas, the strongest international event of its kind anywhere, they finished second. The pundits were inclined to dismiss this as a flash in the pan but changed their minds when the Egyptians matched this performance in May this year, ending as runners-up behind Fred Gitelman and Brad Moss in a field crowded with world and national champions."

(9 August 2003)

"The first major title of the tournament, the Life Master Pairs, was won on Sunday by Zia Mahmood, a cosmopolitan Pakistani with homes in London and New York, and Walid El-Ahmadi, an Egyptian who has rocketed to fame in the last three years."

(15 July 2004)

"The Olympiad overlapped with the Islamic period of Ramadan. This calls for fasting during daylight, and many players were therefore hungry. One was Walid El-Ahmadi of Egypt, who has a claim to be Africa's best player. With his regular partner, Tarek Sadek, he has twice finished second in the prestigious Cavendish Pairs in the last three years. In spite of the hunger problem, the Egyptians played well enough in the qualifying stage to eliminate the Polish team that almost won the gold medals four years ago."

(13 November 2004)

"For just the second time in 42 years, the American Contract Bridge League's prestigious Blue Ribbon Pairs Championship has been won by a pair from another continent. Playing here on Thursday night at the Fall Nationals, Tarek Sadek and Walid El-Ahmadi, who live in Cairo, took the title ahead of Robert Levin of Riverdale NY and Steve Weinstein of Andes NY."

(27 November 2004)