It
has been a long road for the Fergani team but it's one that will
end in Monte Carlo.
Last
year, the Fergani team, with three of its 2003 members Fergani,
L'Ecuyer and Czyzowicz, came right down to the finals for the
CNTC Open Gold medal but failed in a close match against Bryan
Maksymetz and his team.
This
event was important as the CBF was changing over to an in-year
selection process for our international teams and in order to
make the shift had devised a transistion period which included
years 2002 and 2003. Previously, the team from the current year
would be 'team canada' for the following year. To make the change,
the teams winning the CNTC (and CWTC) from 2002 and 2003 would
playoff to become the current year's 'team canada'. From 2004
onward, the CNTC winner would be the 'team canada' for that year.
Fergani
had to win either the 2002 or the 2003 CNTC to be able to enter
the transition playoff.
There
have been frustrations. The World Bridge Federation has a rule
in place that has the potential to make things even more complicated
and difficult for Canada. A rule for qualification in the 2001
AND 2003 Bermuda Bowl was that one of Mexico, Bermuda or Canada
must finish in the top 50% of their group at the previous year's
World Olympiad. If this happens a tri-country (note, Bermuda is
no longer part of our zone) playoffs would occur and the Canada/Mexico/Bermuda
rep for North America would be chosen. If not, all three countries
were denied a chance at the Bermuda Bowl for 2001 and 2003.
In
2000 Fergani won the CNTC (Kamel Fergani, Nicolas L'Ecuyer, Darren
Wolpert, Jurek Czyzowicz, Doug Fraser, Jeffrey Blond). At that
time, of course, the current year winners qualified to enter the
world championship the following year which would have been the
2001 Bermuda Bowl. How exciting for the team, especially Nicolas
and Darren who were even younger then than now!. However, our
CNTC winners from the 1999 were playing in the World Olympiad
Teams and sadly did not make the top 50% of their group. The result
was that Canada was denied the 2001 and 2003 Bermuda Bowl.
How
disappointing for Fergani! and the future winners of the CNTC.
All this may have been a large part of our board's decision to
change policy in the CNTC and CWTC. Now
a team is master of its own destiny!
Canada
was unable to send a team to the 2001 Bermuda Bowl and technically
this upcoming 2003 Bermuda Bowl as well. The WBF was asked to
reconsider this rule and they made an amendment that stated if
any country which was eliminated from the 2003 Bermuda Bowl due
to 2000 World Team Olympiad finish made it to the round of 32
in the Open World Team Championship held in Montreal in 2002 then
they would earn their Bermuda Bowl eligibility back.
It
could have been any Canadian team and we would have earned that
eligibility back, but as destiny or fate would have it, Kamel
Fergani's team (Nic l'Ecuyer, Jurek Czyzowicz, Darren Wolpert
and Kamel Fergani, all members of the 2000 CNTC winning team)
was the only Canadian team to make the round of 32. It was from
the team's efforts in Montreal last August that Canada was allowed
the opportunity to send a team to the 2003 Bermuda Bowl. How fitting!
Fergani
still had to make a comeback - they needed to win the 2003 CNTC,
which they did, and the Playoff with the 2002 CNTC Champions,
which they did, and finally the Playoff with Mexico, which they
did. What a show of strength!
Today,
having hopped through all the hoops, Fergani sits poised to enter
the Bermuda Bowl. And what a team - veterans and juniors alike.
Fergani
and LíEcuyer anchor the team. Jurek Czyzowicz, an
experienced player who spent much of his life in Poland partners
Darren Wolpert who at 27 has just left the Canadian Junior program.
Darren's younger brother Gavin, 20, partners Vincent Demuy, 19.
These two will actually be representing Canada this month at the
2003 World Junior Team Championships.
CONGRATULATIONS
AND GOOD LUCK
Yay
CANADA!!!
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