Kapurthala native Savleen Thadani (50) has made history, making Punjab proud by winning a silver medal at the seven-day Asia Cup Bridge Championship-2026 held in Goa.Organised by the Bridge Federation of India, the championship was held from June 21 to 27 and featured participants from 13 countries, including India, China, Japan, Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the UAE, Indonesia and Australia.A total of 46 bridge teams participated in the tournament.The duo of Savleen Thadani and Sadhana Gupta, representing India in the women’s pairs event, put up an impressive performance to win the silver medal.At the prestigious event, India won two silver medals in the pairs events. Savleen and Sadhana finished runners-up in the women’s category with 519.11 points, while Subir Majumdar and Sujit Kumar Bhattacharjee won a silver in the seniors’ category with 303.60 points.The Indian team’s performance was hailed as a breakthrough, with India securing podium finishes against dominant East Asian competitors.Charanjit Kochar, Savleen’s father, who is based in Kapurthala, said, “It’s a proud moment for us. Savleen was a brilliant student since childhood and has been a keen bridge player for many years. It took her eight years to master the sport. Her exceptional prowess in the game was evident during the tournament. Bridge isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and not everyone understands it. But Savleen picked it up quickly and spent years polishing her game.”Born and brought up in Kapurthala, Savleen currently resides in Gurgaon.Kochar said Savleen’s father-in-law was a Brigadier and that it was during her membership of the Gymkhana Club, Delhi, through her in-laws, that she first took up the game.He added, “During this period, her husband, Kailash Thadani, was very supportive and helpful.”Kochar said, “Bridge is a demanding card game and a mind sport that requires extraordinary patience, discipline and strategic thinking. Playing from 9 am to 6 pm, players had to navigate 56 games. But Savleen accepted the challenge and embraced it with absolute dedication.”He added, “At the age of seven or eight, we sent Savleen to the prestigious Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun, for her education, and she pursued her higher education in Chandigarh. In Gurgaon, she carries forward the spirit of sports inherited from her family.