A whiz of pink, shoots across the field as the Flamingos dart in pursuit of the white disc zipping just above them. Their star player leaps, snatches the disc from the air and with a slight jerk of his wrist flicks the disc to team member to score yet another goal. The Flamingos are in the lead.
No, I was not in the island of Namboobu watching a sequel to Bedknobs and Broomsticks, I was in fact, at the BRC grounds watching a tournament of Ultimate Frisbee held last weekend.
I was a bit surprised when I first heard of ‘Ultimate Frisbee’. I wasn’t aware that the leisurely game of tossing around a frisbee could be played as a sport. But it is a sport, and highly thrilling one at that- both for the participants and the spectators.
Five teams went up against each other recently. Three teams from Colombo and two from Ratnapura. The Ratnapura team is however in a league of its own and not to anyone’s surprise emerged the overall winners of the tournament.
The game is quick and is more or less like an improvised game of football. A standard game of Ultimate Frisbee is played on a field that’s 40 yards wide and 120 yards long.
The length of the field is divided into two ‘end-zones’ on either side either of which are 25 yards long, and the midsection known as the ‘playing field of 70 yards. The objective of the game is for the teams playing against each to work towards getting the Frisbee over their opponent’s goal line in order to score a point.
Speaking to Chenoa Stock who with two other friends introduced the game, that’s growing in popularity, to Colombo. “Ultimate Frisbee started in the US, when it was suggested by a University Student”, she describes how the game was improvised to make it more of a sport and how it caught on in other universities as fast as a well aimed Frisbee throw, concluding “it’s become a very international game”. .
They introduced Ultimate Frisbee to Sri Lanka in November of 2007. Having attended the annual Jazz festival at CR & HC, they saw a few people playing a game of Frisbee leisurely and were struck with an idea that was to catch on famously in Colombo.
“We decided we should put a game together weekly. Since then both Sri Lankans and expats have been a part of the Ultimate Frisbee experience which has been going successfully for 3 ½ years now”, she adds “we are currently in debate about becoming a club”.
Chenoa describes their weekly games as “very adaptable to change” as the number of people who turn up for practice varies every week but even so, they are able to play after making a few adjustments to the rule of number of players. “Normally, the game is played 7 on 7. But if there are either more or less people, we all gather on that day and are teamed up. So anyone is welcome to join us, and the teams are a mix of men and women”.
 |
| Chenoa Stock |
“I think even if you’re not sporty, the game is easy to pick up,” she explains, adding that an interesting mix of people from across the world have joined them even if their stay in Sri Lanka was for a short while. “It’s a good way to meet people”, she goes on to say “I think it’s a beautiful thing to see how it develops and also a good way to get some exercise.”
The tournament held on Saturday was the second one of its kind. Sponsors for the event included Harpos, Hayleys Leisure Holdings and Cristal Water. Those interested in participating in the Ultimate Frisbee experience could contact Chenoa at chenoas@gmail.com.
|
E-mail
