Bridge Federation head may sell property if state fails to fund championship

Imants Parādnieks, chairman of the Latvian Bridge Federation (LBF), said during the show "Spried ar Delfi" that organizers are facing serious financial difficulties due to the lack of state funding for the European Bridge Championship. He stated that if funds are not allocated, austerity measures will be necessary, including salary reductions for some of the staff involved in organizing the event. Parādnieks also admitted the possibility that he may have to provide personal guarantees or sell his own property to cover the costs.

At the same time, the LBF leader emphasized that the championship would bring significant economic benefits to Latvia, exceeding the public investment. However, Ingmārs Jurisons, head of Delfi's sports news department, urged caution regarding such forecasts, recalling several past sports events in Latvia where the promised economic returns turned out to be considerably lower than initially estimated. This situation creates uncertainty about the tournament's viability and financial sustainability without state support.