Except for 1976 Zonal Championship Zia Mahmood has been a regular member of Pakistan Bridge Team in all Zonal and Word Championships. He was a member of the Pakistan team, which won the Middle East and Asian Zonal Championship in 1981, 1983 and 1985. He was the leading member of Pakistan team, which was runner-up in the World Championship of 1981 and 1986.
He is the highest ranked bridge player of Asia and also holds the ranks of World Life Master. He has won recognition for the best bid, best played and best defended hands in the world.
Zia is the most famous and sought after Bridge player in the world today. He has appeared on two TV serials on bridge on BBC and ITV. He has been selected by the World Bridge Federation as a leading bridge personality to promote bridge all over the world.
Zia Mahmood's name is synonyms to bridge in Pakistan and no mention of bridge achievements by Pakistan is completed without his name. He has earned names and fame for Pakistan.
A bridge legend Mr. Masood Saleem ranks high amongst the top notch bridge experts of the world. For almost three decades, his outstanding achievements for Pakistan in the Bridge arena, both at home and abroad have no parallel in the history of sport in Pakistan. Right from 1978, when Pakistan first burst upon the international Bridge scene, as Runners up in the Far East Bridge Federation Championship despite the handicap of two walkovers to Taiwan, with the Pakistan Team spear headed by Masood Saleem, to the recently concluded Attock Petroleum Open Pairs Championship in 2000 which he won with Rashidul Ghazi at Islamabad, Masood Saleem's prolific abilities at bridge has led to a string of staggering bridge victories to Pakistan.
Having finished runners-up, in the very first appearance by Pakistan, in the Bermuda Bowl World Championship held in 1981, Masood Saleem was rated as the most gifted bridge player in world bridge with a remarkable in born natural talent that led him to be distinction of having won the most laurels for his country in Bridge. Towering high and mighty amongst his Pakistani contemporaries (with the celebrated Zia Mahmud, his bridge partner for over a decade and a half, and now no longer representing Pakistan).
Masood Saleem's artistry in handling problems of bidding, play and defence in Bridge is worth applauding for, as he combines his natural ability of card handling with his profound knowledge of the game backed by a phenomenal memory.
Having won the National Championship 7 times and the Asia, Middle-East and Africa Bridge Zonal Championship 5 times in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, four times in succession followed by the last victory in 1999 at Colombo with the Pakistan Team, and that too for the first time without the services of Zia Mahmud. Masood Saleem also has the distinction of reaching the final of the World Bridge Pairs Olympiad in 1990 with Zia Mahmud and also winning the 2000 SAARC Bridge Championship held at Karachi. The passion and zeal with which he plays bridge is reflected in the tears he sheds at the failure of his team mates.
Bridge as a sport has won recognition to be included henceforth in the World Olympics. Pakistan's greatest sportsman, apart from the squash king, Jahangir Khan is Masood Saleem. The man who more than any one else has led Pakistan to the highest number of victories, the most devoted player in the game who has to his credit the Bols Briallancy Prize which is awarded to the top ten best played bridge hands in the world. He is the only player from Africa, Asia, Middle East, who has won the coveted Romex Award for the best bid Bridge Hand in the world in 1985. This brilliant and charismatic Pakistani Bridge Player has yet not been given any national recognition whilst his team mate Zia Mahmud has won the Pride of Performance.
A competent international bridge player, Mazhar Jafri made his mark as an outstanding organizer in 1972 when he emerged as one of the principal contributors and founders of Pakistan Bridge Association (PBA). Ever since Mr. Mazhar Jafri has been closely associated with PBA.
As a matter of fact it was due to untiring efforts on the part of Mazhar Jafri that Pakistan emerged as one of the front-rank bridge playing nations in the world. Under his dynamic leadership Pakistan had attained the distinction of being five-times Bridge Champions of Asia, Middle East & Africa and the runners-up of the World Championships in 1981 and 1986.
Through persistent hectic efforts he successfully pursuaded World Bridge Federation to approve the commissioning of a new Zone, with a zonal federation named as the Bridge Federation of Asia & Middle East.
What is undoubtedly the most outstanding achievement of Mazhar Jafri on highest international sporting scene was the recognition of World Bridge Federation and bridge by the International Olympic Committee(IOC) in 1995. The credit for this achievement has been mainly attributed to Mazhar Jafri since he, as the 1 st Vice-President of WBF, initiated, compaigned and monitored the move for the recognition of bridge by the IOC. In 1995 he was elected President of Bridge Federation of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
It is matter of great honour for PBF and, indeed, national pride for the country that Mazhar Jafri has distinguished himself as a truly outstanding bridge administrator and organizer Worldwide.