Bridge Vs Sport

In the UK, you can play bridge without ever leaving your home. This has made this game accessible to many people who would otherwise be unable to join a team. However, Sport England hasn’t welcomed the bridge game into its league just yet. Because it doesn’t involve physical contact, it is argued that the game doesn’t deserve the same status as other sports.

In July, the English Bridge Union (EAU) successfully petitioned the British Council to admit the game as an official sport. The verdict was rejected by Sport England, the governing body for English football. They claimed that the game’s definition does not include “a competitive or sporting activity which involves contact or a hazard”. However, the court did not rule on whether the activity should be categorized as a sport, but only on whether it meets the Euboean requirement of having a certain level of skill and enjoyment.

While the verdict may seem controversial, it is important to remember that sport encompasses a wide variety of activities. The court’s reasoning essentially boils down to a concern that the amount of physical exertion required to play bridge does not meet the requisite standards required by sport. It is likely that in years to come, other sports will challenge the EAU’s authority and force it to re-evaluate its own definition of sport and its requirement of skill and physical exertion.