January 2022 - 26

Brave Hearts
Scottish Open Team wins Lazard Sportsmanship Award
By Sue Munday
Team Scotland: Anne Perkins (npc), Derrick Peden, Stephen Peterkin, Jim Hay, Alex Adamson, Samantha Punch and Derek Sanders
When Team Scotland says no to
cheaters, they mean it.
For the ethical conviction and
courage they demonstrated at last
summer's Online European Qualification
Competitions for the World
Team Championships, Scotland's
Open Team is the recipient of the
2021 Sidney H. Lazard Jr. Sportsmanship
Award.
First to face an Italian team that
included a convicted cheater, the
Scottish team quietly refused to take
their virtual seats at the bridge table;
they accepted a zero for the forfeit
rather than dignify their opposition
by playing the match.
" This tribute is given to those who
play the game with dignity and honor, "
said award committee member
Zia Mahmood, informing the team
of their selection. " The committee is
aware that your team was not looking
for any public recognition, but
your actions are exactly what Sidney
Lazard encouraged when he created
this award. "
The Sportsmanship honorees are
Alex Adamson, James Hay, Derrick
Peden, Stephen Peterkin, Samantha
Punch, Derek Sanders and non-playing
captain Anne Perkins.
Hay said, " As a bridge player, I feel
very humbled to be honored in this
way. All we did is stand up against a
26 | Bridge Bulletin | January 2022
situation that was not right. When I
see the list of previous winners of this
award, it makes me very proud. "
The Italian Bridge Federation
subbed in Fulvio Fantoni for a player
whose work commitments prevented
him from participating in the competition.
Fantoni and his partner, Claudio
Nunes, were convicted of collusive
cheating by the European Bridge
League in July 2016 and suspended
from play for five years. (Fantoni and
Nunes appealed the EBL determination
to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport [CAS], an independent court
of last resort for international sports
disputes. The CAS panel, made up
of people without bridge experience,
was unconvinced by proof that three
national bridge organizations found
damning. By a vote of 2-1, CAS cited
insufficient evidence to prove the
pair's guilt; they did not exonerate
the pair; they did, however, set aside
the guilty verdict, and left the EBL to
pick up the legal tab.)
Earlier in 2016, Fantoni and Nunes
had been suspended by the Italian
federation and received the maximum
sentence under the Italian regulations
- a three-year ban. Collusive
cheating - partners communicating
by way of prearranged signals - is
considered the gravest offense in the
game of bridge.
The ACBL also found Fantoni and
Nunes guilty of collusive cheating
later in 2016 and expelled them.
While the Italian Bridge Federation
condoned Fantoni's participation
in the 2021 qualifying competition
and the EBL credentialed him, the
presence of a convicted cheater on
the Italian national team's roster
outraged the elite-player bridge community.
Daily
Bridge Bulletin journalist
John Carruthers posted a message
on Bridge Winners that he received
from Erikas Vainikonis of Lithuania:
" I would like to give a special bravo
to Scotland. It's always the hardest
thing to go first! I think they made it
much easier for all of us who went on
subsequently. I strongly believe that
'the wave' will go on, and the message
that has been sent out today will be
heard. "
In an extraordinary demonstration
of unity, all of Europe followed Scotland's
lead. What started as a quiet
sit-out crescendoed as all 30 teams
slated to face the Italian squad either
failed to take their seats or neglected
to submit a line-up. Italy finished
third in the tournament without ever
turning a card.
" It was amazing to watch it unfold
as all the other teams followed suit, "
said Peterkin.
Mahmood applauded the trend set

January 2022

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