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Avi  KANETKAR

 Nato nel 1947 in India da due noti bridgisti, ha imparato il gioco fin da ragazzo e la mamma ha fatto parte per quasi venti anni della Nazionale femminile indiana. 

 Avi si è trasferito in Australia nel 1972 e vive con la moglie Lalita e le sue due figlie a Kurrajong una cittadina del New Wales assisa nello splendido scenario delle Blue Mountains.

 Ha vinto numerosi titoli nazionali e si è imposto come uno dei più forti giocatori australiani in circolazione.

 Avi si dichiara un avido lettore di libri e riviste di Bridge e non si fa scrupolo di confessare che la sua principale fonte di aggiornamento professionale è Bridge World.

  Avi Kanetkar is another member of the old brigade having played in the competitive scene since arriving in Australia in 1972 – yes folks as recent as that sounds it is 38 years.

However his bridge career goes back much further than that having learned from his father and his mother who played for the Indian women’s team for more than twenty years.

Now 63, Avi lives with his wife Lalita in Kurrajong in the foothills of Sydney’s Blue Mountains. With two grown up daughters he now has the added responsibility of grandfather to add to his very busy family medical practice.

His list of partners is lengthy and includes Chris Hughes, Khokan Bagchi, Pauline Gumby, Nigel Rosendorff, Terry Brown, Bruce Neill, Matthew Thompson and Ted Chadwick.

His list of national titles is nearly as long as his list of partners having won NOT, SNOT, GNOT, VCC and Swiss Pairs and at 63 I am guessing he may have even forgotten a few others. He has also won a place in the Australian National Open and Seniors Teams.

Avi loves reading bridge books and magazines nominating the U.S. Bridge World Magazine as one of the finest publications, “I urge all Wednesday 3rd March 2010 Page 4 players to subscribe and read this magazine as it is guaranteed to improve your game”. In addition to reading Avi suggests that improving players should remember:
• bridge is not just learned at the table – read books focusing on card play and defence;
• know your system thoroughly thereby reducing ‘unforced errors’; and
• don’t look for brilliancies, bridge is a partnership/team game.

When he was in Jakarta a few years ago competing in the Governor’s Cup, they showed us a video clip showing that Indonesia has 34,000 primary school kids playing bridge in schools.

He say that it need to improve the game’s image and make it attractive for youngsters to join.