Bahrain is a big attraction for memory competitors

Competitors will be taking parting WMC which will be the key event of the 2nd Annual 'Festival of the Mind, Bahrain.'

Following on from the announcement of former World Champion Andi Bell of the USA, with a last minute decision to compete, news has just arrived that Grand Master of Memory Astrid Plessl from Austria is coming out of retirement to do the same.

They will be appearing in the WMC which being held as part of the Festival of the Mind hosted once again by INTELNACOM, Bahrain.

The Festival is taking place at the Gulf international Convention Centre, Gulf hotel, Bahrain, from 23rd-26th October, 2008.

Astrid last competed in 2004 when, for the second year running she had achieved Silver Medallist position in the World Memory Championships.

Ranked 5th in the world, Astrid won the 2003 Austrian Open Memory Championships and also the 2004 Austrian Memory Championship. She is a formidable competitor and obviously has her eye on the top trophy.

Fuad Mubarak, Deputy CEO of INTELNACOM commented:

"We are absolutely thrilled that Bahrain has attracted the highest number of competitors ever to the competition and with the addition of these very skilled masters of memory, we are looking forward to a really exciting event."

He added: The 'Festival of the Mind' is an interesting concept we have created to bring to Bahrain a set of edu-entertaining activities and this year will see some new ideas being introduced. Local participants can take part in the festival and we are also introducing an inter-schools challenge in a number of mind games such as Sudoku, Dama, Chess, Scrabble.

Competitors of the World Memory Championship have to compete in 10 disciplines and it takes an enormous amount of practice to exhibit the skills necessary to compete at this high level.

With a record total of 63 competitors from 14 countries now registered for the 2008 World Memory Championships, it would be a very brave person who could now predict the result.

Without a doubt this is going to be the most exciting and exhaustive test of human memory that has ever taken place.