If you like or want to learn to play bridge in Mount Isa, Paul Inbona is the man you need to see.
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While being very successful in his own right in a career sense, his hobby and passion is playing bridge.
Mr Inbona came to Mount Isa in June to work as the chief financial officer for Glencore North Queensland Copper operations in Mount Isa.
“I am French born, and a South African citizen,” he said.
“I was previously working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I spent eight years as CFO of various mines.”
Outside of work, his love is for the game of bridge.
“I have been playing bridge since I was a teenager,” he said.
“My mother introduced me to the game, and I have loved playing and studying the game ever since.”
The game of bridge requires a level of “intellectual effort” but once it is mastered can be rewarding and enjoyable.
“There are many aspects of the bridge game that I enjoy,” Mr Inbona said.
“It is a partnership game where communication, logic, attention to detail, concentration, ability to plan ahead and some understanding of basics probabilities are key to success.
“It is an excellent mental exercise for people of all ages, and provides an opportunity to socialise while playing the game.”
Bridge is different from chess.
In the game of chess, all of the information is on the board from the first move.
But the game of bridge includes an element of uncertainty where analysis of the clues provided during the game is critical to finding the best play.
“It is also a game where, at all levels, you can learn new tricks and new ways to improve constantly,” Mr Inbona said.
“It requires some intellectual effort, but when the plan you have designed is successful, it is well worth the effort.”
The problem for Mr Inbona is finding partners to play the somewhat obscure game with.
Numerous calls for bridge lovers in the city have gone unanswered.
“I have tried to find people interested in playing or learning bridge, even before I landed in Isa,” he said.
“I first contacted the Australian Bridge Federation and was told that unfortunately there was no bridge club in Isa, although there used to be one a few years ago.”
He even wrote a letter to the editor and placed an advertisement in The North West Star asking for any bridge enthusiasts to put their hand up, but to no avail.
He received small interest from the letter to the editor, but not enough for a serious and regular game.
“To play you need multiples of four players, so at this stage I have not found enough interested people to start a bridge class,” he said.
“I also contacted Gina at the PCYC, who suggested that she may be able to provide a room where we could have bridge classes.
‘‘I also tried to post a note on the Mount Isa Community Facebook page, without success.”
After recently playing bridge in Townsville, Mr Inbona asked if anyone knew people who could be interested in playing bridge in Isa, but again no luck.
He will also put a call out in the next edition of the Mine to Market newsletter, published by Mount Isa Mines in October for the September/October edition.
Bridge is a hobby for most, but for Mr Inbona it’s something he has mastered at a high level.
“I played regularly in South Africa in club competition and regional, national and international competitions,” he said.
“I recently played in the Worldwide Simultaneous Pair tournament, a tournament where I ended 21st out of 4344 in June. I also played in trials to represent South Africa.
‘‘I play regularly on the internet where there are some excellent sites that offer many opportunities to play the game with players from all over the world.
“This however does not assist in developing social ties in the local community, which is one thing I am looking to do while in Mount Isa.”
Bridge is often seen as a game that one would take up when retiring, but Mr Inbona said it was one younger people could also enjoy.
“It is a game that can be enjoyed and played by young players too as it develops some skills that are useful at school and university (logical thinking, working with imperfect information, self-control, developing mental strength to deal with pressure and defeat),” he said.
“With elder players, it helps keep your mind active and has a demonstrative impact on your mental health.”
For more information, check out http://howtoplaybridge.co.uk/the-health-benefits-of-playing-bridge/; and http://howtoplaybridge.co.uk/why-play-bridge/.
Mr Inbona said anyone interested in playing or learning more about bridge could contact him on 0403868680 or pinbona@outlook .com.