The national Ultimate Frisbee team is set to head to the world championships in France, except for one hurdle - lack of funds
Sahitra Ghurye
Ifâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088you happened to walk along Juhu beach early in the morning on a weekend, you may have spotted a bunch of youngsters busy at a game of Frisbee, one sending the disc flying through the air and another jumping to catch it before someone else beats them to it. But they aren't just frolicking at the beach. These youngsters are part of the Mumbai Ultimate community, two of whose members are going to play for Team India at the World Beach Ultimate Frisbee Championships to be held in France later this month.
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Veera Sethuraman
"Ultimate Frisbee (also called Ultimate) evolved as a counterculture sport in the US back in the 1960s, and it has become popular in India in the last few years. We sent our first team to a world championship only in 2015," says Manickam Narayanan, president, Ultimate Players Association of India. The sport has gained recognition from the International Olympic Committee, which means it could one day be in the Olympics.
The team that will represent India at the World Beach Ultimate Frisbee Championships in Royan, France
Next stop:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088France
The Sports Authority of India is yet to recognise Ultimate, simply because the sport is so niche that it is yet to be registered in 15 states, as mandated. As of now, the sport is played avidly in Chennai and Surat, with smaller communities in New Delhi, Bengaluru, and a handful of other cities.
"If we don't find sponsors, we end up paying from our pockets," reveals 23-year-old Sahitra Ghurye, one of the players from Mumbai, who is currently pursuing her medical residency at Nair Hospital. This means every time a player is picked for a championship, s/he must be prepared to shell out Rs 1.5 lakh. This, would be especially unfair to those who come from underprivileged backgrounds, which amounts to over half the 20-member team.
"The team is picked purely based on skills and sportsmanship," says Veera Sethuraman, the other player from Mumbai. This is why the mixed gender team is raising funds, through crowdfunding and sponsors, to go to France. "We still have some way to go before we can reach our goal of Rs 10 lakh," she adds. Currently, India ranks 27th among 75 countries that play the sport. That said, Spirit of the Game (see box) is an important facet of Ultimate, and in that, our country features in the top 10.
Accidental discovery
A lot of players come across Ultimate by mere happenstance. While Sethuraman is an exception, having played the sport growing up in California, Ghurye started out playing football. "A friend told me about Ultimate, and I played a match in April 2015. A few months later, I got a call from the Mumbai community," she says. Narayanan shares that it's all about public access and openness. "The minute people see others playing this sport, they are curious. And we are more than happy to let a newbie join in a game."
Despite being a mixed gender sport, the fact that it's non-contact makes Ultimate a safe sport for women to pursue. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to recruit girls on the team in India, as parents and society may not always be supportive. The future, however, seems bright. "Our goals are ambitious. We are now introducing the sport in schools, so we can have as many talented young players as possible. Our goal is to coach 10,000 school kids by 2018," says Narayanan.
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