The European Pairs Championships have come to a close in Riga, Latvia, with three new Zone 1 titles decided and two legends of bridge welcomed into the EBL Hall of Fame.
In the Women’s Pairs, Finland’s Pia Erkkilä and Raija Tuomi took the gold medal. The Polish pair of Cathy Bałdysz and Sophia Bałdysz claimed silver, while Croatia’s Marina Pilipović and Nikica Sver completed the podium in third place.
The Mixed Pairs title went to England’s Daniel McIntosh and Claire Robinson. Poland’s Maciej Hutyra and Danuta Kazmucha finished second, and Türkiye’s Arda Dağcıoğlu and Esra Öztemir took the bronze.
In the Senior Pairs, Norway’s Tor Bakke and Peter Marstrander were crowned champions. Poland’s Michał Kwiecień and Włodzimierz Starkowski earned silver, with Italy’s Andrea Buratti and Giuseppe Failla taking the bronze.
The Final B was won by Türkiye’s Levent İmamoğlu and Rakel Nahmiyas, ahead of Bulgaria’s Gergana Teneva and Marina Koycheva, with another Turkish pair, Ekrem Serdar and Halime Can, in third.
The new champions were celebrated at a festive award ceremony, hosted by Master of Ceremonies Vicky Chediak. EBL President Eric Laurant and Latvian Bridge Federation President Imants Parādnieks addressed the players, paying tribute to the quality of play and the warm atmosphere created by hosts and competitors alike. The evening was rounded off by the band DaGamba, who lit up the stage with an amazing, electrifying performance.
The ceremony also marked a special honour, with two distinguished figures inducted into the EBL Hall of Fame: Kathrine Bertheau of Sweden and Tom Hanlon of Ireland, recognised for their outstanding contributions to European bridge.
The closing ceremony of the Pairs also served to officially declare the Teams Championships open.
