In Thiruvananthapuram, a group of more than 500 people have come together to promote the exciting sport of Ultimate Frisbee.
So, what exactly is Ultimate Frisbee?
Ultimate Frisbee is a self-refereed non-contact sport where two teams of ideally seven players each try to move a flying disc up the field and score a point by catching it within one of the end zones.
The ideal outdoor fields are usually 100 meters long with 18-meter end zones at each end.
If a team manages to reach the opposing end zone and catch the disc within it, they score a point.
Then the opposing team starts from the scored end and tries to reach the other end zone of the field.
The players can only throw the disc to their teammates, and cannot move while holding it, like in basketball.
The opposing team can try to intercept the disc or make it drop to gain control of it, which is called a turnover.
However, any contact while blocking or trying to intercept the disc is considered a foul.
How did ‘Ultimate Frisbee’ start in Thiruvananthapuram?
Trivandrum Ultimate is the Thiruvananthapuram chapter for promoting the sport.
It was started by Benoy Stephen, a Delhi-based professional player-coach, and a group of his friends in 2021.
Sankar Ram, an IT professional, is currently managing the group and is one of the founding members.
He is also the captain of ‘Thira’, the competitive team of Trivandrum Ultimate, which is preparing for its first tournament in Kodaikanal.
However, Trivandrum Ultimate mostly comprises of hobbyists of different ages, from 12-year-olds to those in their 50s.
Spirit of the game
“Spirit of the Game” is another unique aspect of this sport.
Opposing teams actually measure each other’s ‘spirit of the game’ using five metrics.
These are: awareness of the rules, being fair-minded and truthful, respectful communication, positive playing attitude and self-control, and avoiding fouls and body contact.
The most spirited teams in a tournament are the ones who earn most points from their opposing teams.
Reporting, Photos and Videos: Aswin V N
Voiceover: Gopika K P
Production: Reenu Cyriac
Photos: Sushil Kumar Verma
