Panaji: India women’s team sealed its place in the semifinals, while India B surged to the top of the Seniors table with a commanding lead at the 5th Asia Cup Bridge Championships on Thursday. India A remains in contention across multiple divisions as the tournament heads into its final qualifying rounds at Dona Paula.The women’s double round robin concluded with China finishing on top of the table on 127.61 Victory Points (VPs), followed by Indonesia (108.23), India A (105.30) and Japan (89.14). These four teams will contest the semifinals on Friday. India B finished its campaign in ninth place with 69.98 VPs.In the Seniors division, India B dominated the field with 144.67 VPs, holding an 11.48 VP cushion over second-placed Australia. Chinese Taipei followed in third. Japan sits fourth, while India A is close behind in fifth, trailing by fewer than 4 VPs. Thailand on 108.41 VPs and Bangladesh on 107.12 VPs remain in contention, setting up a tense finish with three rounds left to be played.The Open division saw regional heavyweights China and Hong Kong secure their semifinal tickets. India A is strongly positioned in third and is considered odds-on to qualify. Bangladesh B currently holds fourth, closely chased by India B and Japan. With two matches remaining, the final berth remains undecided.The Mixed division is the most volatile, with China A (152.68 VPs), China B (152.05 VPs), and Hong Kong China A (140.37 VPs) already qualified. The fourth spot is still open, with Singapore holding 115.14 VPs, closely pursued by Thailand on 111.21 VPs, India A on 110.85 VPs, and Australia B on 104.97 VPs.The knockout play and the Pairs Qualifying Series begin on Friday.
