Team India Frisbee at Shirahama after the game
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
June 16 was a proud day for the Indian National Ultimate Frisbee mixed team as they won silver at the Asian Oceanic Ultimate Beach Championships (AOUBC) held at Shirahama, Japan. They competed against defending champions, the Philippines, who also won first place in the men’s and women’s categories. It is the number one team in Asia.
The win, at a competition which drew participants not just from Asia but also Australia and New Zealand, has been a big push for Ultimate Frisbee which is in its nascence in India. In its 2019 edition, the team clinched the bronze medal. This year, with the exception of one player from Bengaluru, the rest of the 18-member team was from Chennai. The athletes were chosen based on national try-outs and a selection camp.
The team huddle
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Though the sport is usually played both on the beach and grass, the former is more popular.
“The team prepared for nearly six months before the event; around six training camps were held in Chennai. It is a cause for celebration for the team and the sport in India,” said Alex Sebastian, chief executive officer, India Ultimate Players Association. On why the majority of the team is from Chennai, he added, “Perhaps due to Chennai’s proximity to the beach, and access to it for the players. Our players do well on that surface.”
The beach format has five players on each side, Like with basketball, the players are substituted so most of the team plays in a match. The grass format has seven players to a side.
Of the sport’s increasing popularity over the past decade, Alex said, “People see the benefit of the sport, it is physical activity. A lot of work is being done at the grassroots level to create interest in it. Players pick up the game, say from college, turn passionate evangelists for the sport and take it back with them in turn creating a community of players. There are NGOs working on popularising the mixed gender format sport.” .” The sport is played in the men and women only format too; the Ultimate Frisbee Association, however sent the mixed format team for the championship.
Most frisbee-playing States in the country have State-level associations and State and regional Ultimate competitions taking place in the lead up to the annual National Ultimate Championship.
Uday Kumar, the team’s head coach recalls their journey over the last six months, one that was filled with hard work, extensive training, and even unexpected roadblocks as they focussed on one goal – to clinch the gold.
“While the result was disappointing, this is the best ever finish for India in any Ultimate tournament,” he says. “Everyone in the team has a full time job, and in the run up to the tournament, had to balance training, their personal responsibilities, and also working on raising funds for some team members. As a coach, I felt that getting to go to the tournament in itself was a big achievement, and we were thankful for the opportunity,” he says.
While there is a bit of disappointment in not winning a gold when Sivaraman Venkatesan, one of the team’s captains speaks about their tournament experience, there is also a lot to be elated about. “We worked hard – not just to train and prepare, but also towards raising funds and campaigning for our participation in the tournament. Even when the team’s morale took a hit during this, we bounced back with the support of the frisbee community and our family and friends. It took us a while to believe that we were actually going to Japan, but once we landed there and began playing, our spirits were high,” he says.
The lead up to the tournament, and all the preparation it took has made them better human beings, Udaya says,. “We will keep training hard, and win gold for the country someday,” he affirms.
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