Friday August 9 2013
Two tournaments for young players in Atlanta over the past nine days have attracted the attention of two major news media organizations. Last week, National Public Radio sent a reporter to interview three young Atlanta-area players taking part in the ACBL’s Youth NABC. On Friday, Univision 34, the Atlanta affiliate of the Spanish-language television network, sent a representative to interview two participants in the World Youth Open Bridge Championships. Pablo Herrera videotaped an interview with Juan Felipe Cuervo and Santiago Velez, two of the six players representing Colombia in the World Bridge Federation tournament. He also interviewed the team’s coach, Luis Alejandro Mejia Caro. Herrera said that interview will be broadcast on Univision, and an Internet link to it will be sent to the Colombian Bridge Federation. Juan Manuel Loaiza, captain of the team, said the young players have not done as well as they had hoped, “but it’s a great experience for them.” Loaiza said Velez and Cuervo have been playing only about eight months, but that they show promise. The two said they like to play at the bridge club in Bogota, where they live, and they play a lot on line. As for Atlanta, said, Cuervo: “We have had a great time.