The ultimate' honour!

Ultimate Frisbee is all about playing hard, playing fair, and changing attitudes on the field. That is the reason the sport is becoming popular all over India. From the time it was recognised as a game by the International Olympic Committee in August 2015, the Frisbee has had a dynamic journey in India — with Chennai as its hub!

With atleast 30 teams nationwide, India is following in the footsteps of the US, Europe and Japan by taking part in international tournaments. The first ever Indian National Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team is being sent to the World Championships to be held in London, in June 2016! Among the 20 women, eight are from Tamil Nadu. Talented and determined, these girls are set to take London for a spin — the Ultimate way.

“Ultimate Frisbee has been in India for a decade and is one of the fastest growing sports. The Indian team is made of athletes selected for their talent, from all over the country,” says Ranjani Shanker, women’s team manager.

Sportsmanship is at the highest level in this game. Manjula Arumugam, a team member, is very excited about the championship. She has been playing Ultimate Frisbee for the past five years for Auroville Spinergy. “We had a four-day training camp in Auroville from January 23 to 26. The second camp will be held from February 27 to 28 in Bengaluru. We get to know each other better through the camps.”

So, how is to play in an all-girls team? “The sport is usually mixed (co-ed), so it is novel to play only with girls. Since it is a women’s team, each player can step up and and find a role for herself. All 20 girls are from different backgrounds, so we bring out the best in each other. Rather than worried, I have the aspiration to make India proud. I am looking forward to it,” says Manjula.

An extremely athletic and fast-paced game, Frisbee is followed by more than 20,000 people in India. It’s physically demanding, but you also have to be patient, calm and smart with the game.

Another player in the team, Sangeetha Manoharan, who has been playing for the past six years, feels that women in sport are not that encouraged in India. “It is really awesome to have an all-women team representing India globally.

Everyone is so helping and encouraging. But I hope there are better training facilities. Everything looks very promising now. I hope Team India can acclimatise to the climate in London. We are training as hard as possible. In a mixed team, you don’t get a primary role due to the presence of men. But in an all women’s team, everyone can play their role,” says Sangeetha.