FROM THE MIND SPORTS CONVENOR October 2020 We are all learning to adapt to the new normal with our style of living as well as running our business due to Covid-19. It is anticipated that the usage of our club facilities will increase as members are restricted on travels and would spend more time locally. We all need to keep fit and healthy! You may want to know that apart from all the Outdoor Sports (tennis, swimming) and Indoor Sports (badminton, squash, bowling, golf simulator, gym, pickleball, ping pong, pool, etc.), we can embark on the third form of exercise – engage with our mind. I would like to share some background information about the Mind Sports movement and what we have put in place for you as MIND SPORTS offerings at the LRC. The definition of Mind Sport is “A game of skill where the competition is based on a particular type of intellectual ability as opposed to physical exercise”. The Mind Sports Organisation (MSO) with headquarters in London, UK was established in 1997 as an association for promoting mental-skill games including Contract Bridge, Chess, Go, Mastermind, and Scrabble. Since conception it has annually organised in UK a multi-sport competition with its brand - the Mind Sports Olympiad. Due to Covid-19, the 2020 event was held on-line for the first time from 1 – 30 August. From an international perspective, the World Mind Sports Games (WMSG) is a quadrennial multi- sport event created by the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) as a “stepping stone on the path of introducing a third kind of Olympic Games (after the Summer and the Winter Olympics)”. The inaugural 2008 World Mind Sports Games were held in Beijing from 3 – 18 October, about two months after the Summer Olympics and one month after the Paralympics. Five mind sports participated in the first games: bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), go (Weiqi), and Xiangqi (Chinese chess). Thirty-five gold medals were contested by 2,763 competitors from 143 countries. The Mahjong International League was accepted as the sixth member of IMSA in 2017. Many of these games are governed by a federation operating internationally and an association locally. At the 2018 Asian Game held in Indonesia, Bridge debuted as a category and the Hong Kong Bridge Team brought home 2 silver and 2 bronze Olympic Medals. Within the remit of Mind Sports, we have two Subcommittees at the LRC to-date. Bridge and Mahjong, chaired by me and Alexandra Green respectively. We organise lessons (for both beginners and intermediate level players), seminars, trainings, weekly games and HK-wide bridge tournaments, festive activities as well as annual charity event. We look to develop Subcommittees for other Mind Sports as interest groups grow. Please contact me if you have an interest to be involved or wish to take a lead in any Mind Sport other than Bridge and Mahjong. After consultation with the Junior Activities Subcommittee, we have added many new games to our inventory and below is a list of games available for members to borrow from the Sports Desk: 1. Articulate 2. Backgammon 3. Charades 4. Checkers 5. Cheetah Safari Race 6. Chess 7. Connect Four 8. Go (Weiqi) 9. Go Fish 10. Intelligence Graphic Match 11. Jenga 12. Monopoly 13. Paddington’s 14. Pavillion 15. Ravensburger Labyrinth 16. Rummikub 17. Scrabble 18. Trouble 19. Uno 20. Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) 21. Zingo (a kind of bingo for juniors) Apart from Mahjong which has a restriction to be played at the Mahjong section of the Card Room (May Road Building), other card and board games can be played at many venues around the Club: • Area outside Sports Desk • Rooftop • The Hub • Sports Bar (2 tables only) • Lotus Bistro (2 tables only between 2:30pm – 5:30pm) • Verandah (2 tables only between 2:30pm – 5:30pm) • Pizzeria (2 tables only between 2:30pm – 5:30pm) Guest fee of HK$40.00 and all current guest rules regarding Covid-19 management are applicable. We look forward to seeing you and your family at the Club soon. Nancy Neumann.