The English Bridge Union is pushing for legal recognition of the card game as a sport in the hope of reaping public funding. But will the courts agree? And what is the difference between a sport and a game anyway?
There’s a sure-fire way of starting a conversation in a room full of sports fans. Tell them that football – or cricket, golf, hockey, or whatever it is they’re rooting for – is a game, not a sport.
And then make yourself scarce.
The deceptively simple question, “Is it a sport?”, has almost certainly been around since the 8th century BC, when the ancient Greeks decided that staging regular games at Olympia would be a more agreeable alternative to the bloody and costly wars waged regularly between the various city states.
The ancient Olympics featured a strictly limited menu of sports – chariot races, horse races, discus, long jump, javelin, running and wrestling.
One can only imagine the conversations in the ancient tavernas about 393AD when the Roman emperor Theodosius banned the Olympic Games as too pagan, preferring the more “civilised” events popularised at the Circus Maximus in Rome.
“Yes, Alexander, it’s entertaining and all that, but can two slaves cutting each other to ribbons for the amusement of the hoi polloi really be considered a sport?”
And as a case before a British court demonstrated last week, the question “But is it a sport?” continues to preoccupy us 2,000 years later.
It is, insists the English Bridge Union, time to recognise bridge – the sedate and cerebral card game popular with those of more advanced years – as a sport.
The EBU is the proud official guardian of an internationally popular card game with roots that can be traced back to 16th century England and which, over the centuries, has enjoyed such names as triumph, trump, ruff, slam, ruff and honours, whisk and swabbers, whisk, and whist.
Now, the organisation wants bridge to be classified as a sport by Sport England, the government body that doles out hundreds of millions of pounds of funding through the 46 sport governing bodies it recognises.
For Sport England, the request is a bridge too far. But at the high court of justice in London last week, the EBU won permission to mount a full-blown judicial review of its decision.
Over the years, many have tried to define the essential characteristic that makes a sport a sport, although not all have done so with an entirely open mind. Ernest Hemingway, the macho American author, is often credited with the observation that there are “only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering. All the rest are merely games”.
Likewise, the American comedian George Carlin had a long list of non-sports, including running (“anything we can all do can’t be a sport”), swimming (“just a way to keep from drowning”) and sailing (merely “a way to get somewhere. Riding the bus isn’t a sport, why should sailing be?”).
All this really tells us is that if one is a football fan, then football is a sport and everything else a mere game, played by losers.
But where better to look for a definitive answer to the question than the International Olympic Committee, bearer of the torch handed down by the ancient Greeks.
The motto of the Olympic movement, as reinvented in 1896 by the French nobleman Pierre de Coubertin, is “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, Latin – and not curiously, Greek – for “Faster, Higher, Stronger”.
This could serve as a useful yardstick for working out if an activity measures up as a sport. But de Coubertin also left us with this conveniently Tweet-sized definition: “Sport is the habitual and voluntary cultivation of intensive physical effort.”
In other words, if it is not making you sweat, it is not a sport.
But even de Coubertin’s Olympics could be said to have dropped the ball, right from the off, by including shooting among the otherwise sweat-inducing nine sports featured in the first modern games in Athens in 1896.
In the intervening years, Olympic sports have come and gone. Polo and baseball had their hour in the Olympic sun, while others such as archery and tennis have been introduced, dropped and then reintroduced.
Currently, the Olympic Movement recognises 41 summer sports and disciplines, and 15 winter. But not, so far, any “mind sports”. When it comes to the likes of bridge and chess, the IOC has adopted a slightly confusing stance.
In 1995 it recognised the international bodies of bridge and chess and by 1999, when the IOC “acknowledged that bridge and chess should be considered sports”, their inclusion looked like a slam dunk. But in 2002, while reviewing the request of the sports to be included, the Olympic Programme Commission concluded that “they should not be eligible”.
While there was, said the commission, “no global definition of the difference between a sport and a game, the most commonly accepted element of a sport is physical exertion in the conduct of competition”.
Neither chess nor bridge has taken this defeat lying down, and in setting up alternative “Mind Sport” Olympiads, the advocates of brain games have thrown up an oddity that could challenge the next considerations of the Olympic Programme Commission.
Meet Diving Chess, the world championships of which will be staged in a swimming pool in a London gym this July.
The game is played underwater and players have for as long as they can hold their breath to make their move.
Well, why not? Consider the mystery that is the Olympic sport of synchronised swimming: dancing, with a chance of drowning.
Back in court, meanwhile, the English Bridge Union is rubbing its hands with glee at the prospect of a rematch with Sport England at the high court, and it is cash as much as pride that hangs on the outcome.
The EBU’s bid for sporting status for bridge began back in 2011, when it realised that if Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs could be persuaded to recognise bridge as a sport, its members would no longer have to pay VAT, currently at 20 per cent, on competition fees.
It was then that the EBU discovered the taxman took his definition of what constituted a sport from Sport England, the UK government agency charged with ensuring that, for the sake of national health and honour, as many people as possible take part in a sport.
Then the EBU realised that getting Sport England to change its mind could have other, even more lucrative benefits beyond VAT. “If we’re recognised as a sport by Sport England it opens up funding opportunities for facilities and so on, both for the EBU and for clubs, counties and local bridge groups,” says Peter Stockdale, communications officer for the bridge union.
It certainly does. By the end of its 2013-2017 budget cycle, Sport England will have distributed £493 million of National Lottery money through the 46 sport governing bodies it recognises.
But Sport England’s legal position remains that a sport is not a sport unless it involves physical activity – and that shuffling cards does not count.
“The starting point of the definition of sport is physical activity,” Kate Gallofent QC, the barrister for Sport England, told the court. “Bridge cannot ever satisfy this definition.”
Certainly, if it came down to a people’s vote, the chances are that bridge would not make the cut.
Last year the news site Reddit conducted a poll of readers to see which of 53 activities they would describe as a sport. Fifteen fell by the wayside, and poker – the nearest thing to bridge in the survey – was at the very bottom of the deck, regarded as a sport by only 10 per cent of respondents.
Even darts, croquet and chess fared better. In fact, more people judged even competitive eating to be more of a sport than a card game.
A high court victory for bridge would, of course, raise the possibility of other non-physical games being considered as eligible for a place at the Sport Council funding trough.
“Chess has certainly shown an interest in being involved in the case,” says Mr Stockdale.
But, if bridge and chess are to be sports, why not such games such as tiddlywinks, which does, after all, require a modicum of physical skill and a not insignificant degree of hand-eye coordination?
Why not indeed, says Andrew Garrard, Secretary of the English Tiddlywinks Association. Tiddlywinks, he says, “is a sport at which England has led the world for 60 years, combining the deftness of darts, the complexity of curling and the strategy of sprint cycling”.
What’s more, it remains true to the Olympic ideal. The association, he says “has remained aloof in its belief that it should represent only amateur play, otherwise tiddlywinks would be the bar by which Sport England’s other sports would be judged and found wanting”.
Sport England, limbering up to give battle in the high court to defend its definition of sport – and control of the vast funds at its disposal – remains unimpressed by all of this, and devoted to an ideal first expressed by the ancient Olympians.
“Basically,” a spokesman told The National, “you have to sweat to get the money.”
newsdesk@thenational.ae
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The%20Killer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDavid%20Fincher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Fassbender%2C%20Tilda%20Swinton%2C%20Charles%20Parnell%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout
Adidas @adidaswomen
Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills
Balmain @balmain
Burberry @burberry
ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics
Dior @dior
H&M @hm
Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop
KKW @kkwbeauty
Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics
MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics
Michael Kors @michaelkors
NARS @narsissist
Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen
NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics
Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta
Ouai Hair @theouai
Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices
Prada @prada
Revolve @revolve
Uniqlo @uniqlo
Warby Parker @warbyparker
Zara @zara
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Belong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Askew%20and%20Matthew%20Gaziano%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243.5%20million%20from%20crowd%20funding%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
