Gli European Youth
Championships sono stati organizzati dalla Federazione
Europea a partire dal 1968 per iniziativa di André
Boekhorst e si disputano ogni anno pari.
Gli European Youth Championships vengono disputati ogni due anni ed ogni Paese può presentare una sola squadra open composta da giocatori under 26 e, dal 1994 un'altra composta da under 21, nonché, dal 2004, una squadra femminile di under 26.
Le prime squadre classificate acquisiscono il diritto a rappresentare l'Europa nei World Youth Team Championship che sono invece organizzati dalla World Bridge Federation.
Alla Squadra Under 26 vincitrice di ogni edizione viene assegnato il David Pigot Trophy.
Alla Squadra Under 21 vincitrice di ogni edizione viene assegnato il José Damiani Trophy.
The European
Youth Team Championships is the flagship competition of the EBL youth
programme. It comprises three series, one for Juniors players (up
to 25 years), one for Youngsters players (up to 20 years) and one
for young Girls (up to 25 years). Each EBL member country is
entitled to enter one (national) team in each series. The format is a
simple round-robin (all play all), at the end of which the team with most
points gets the European crown. The top teams in the Junior series also
earn the right to represent Europe in the World Youth Team Championship,
arranged as a interzonal competition by the World Bridge Federation.
The competition was founded by EBL Youth Committee Chairman André Boekhorst in 1968 when the first event was held in Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia at the time, with the Juniors series only. It has continued as a biennial event held every even-numbered year ever since. In 1994, EBL Youth Committee Chairman Panos Gerontopoulos proposed the establishment of the Youngsters series to accommodate younger players. The Girls series was added in 2004.
Two prominent members of the international bridge community have donated the Trophies to be awarded to the winning teams. David Pigot is the honor of the European Juniors Team Championship , while the winner of the European Youngsters Team Championship receives the José Damiani Trophy.
