If there’s one thing that Goa is synonymous with, it’s beaches. It may sound clichéd, but it is undeniable. For a large chunk of the country, it is what the state epitomises. However, while they have been sunbathed upon, visited by throngs of tourists, been host to various to a series of events, until recently, there was one thing it hadn’t witnessed yet: Ultimate.
The USHA Big Fat Goa Hat was the first Ultimate (Frisbee) tournament to have been held in Goa. Over 100 players from all over India and abroad were a part of the hat tournament that was held at the beaches of Mandrem and Miramar from November 6-8. And this event was not one that is being run by a small body of organisers either. The 2015-formed Goa Ultimate Association was the driving force behind the tournament, with the aim of promoting the sport and building awareness around it. In the future, it hopes to host international tournaments like World Championships of Beach Ultimate (WCBU).
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Jonathan Dias, one of the organisers involved with the event, chats a little about the days spent on the shore, saying “The objective of these tournaments is to build awareness of the sport in the state. Being an all-inclusive sport, we have players of different economic backgrounds and ages right from 10 to 45 trashing it out on the beach every day.”
Perhaps what makes Ultimate Frisbee attractive as a sport is its philosophy: ‘Spirit of the Game’. This means that there are no referees in an Ultimate game, official or otherwise. Every person governs his own game fairly; which means that you don’t only call fouls against you, but those that you may be guilty of committing. From players congratulating their opponents on impressive plays, to the end of the game seeing both teams sitting in a ‘Spirit Circle’, evaluating the game and playing Spirit Games (which are like party games), the aim of being involved in Ultimate is to get to know the other team and perhaps remind players on both sides that camaraderie and a positive attitude are to be valued as much as winning.
So is there potential for growth in the sport through such events then? Jonathan seems to think so, and goes on to talk about the growth of the sport in India adding “It’s quite apparent that a sport like Ultimate Frisbee fits seamlessly with Goa, having the space as well as the people that dovetail into its philosophy. While India has been one of the last few to join the bandwagon, Ultimate has spread like wildfire across the country. If tournaments are any standard of measuring its reach, there are around 30 teams that participate in 8 competitions every year held in Delhi, Surat, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Auroville. This year Ultimate has been included as an Olympic Sport.”
The reason that the tournament is referred to as a ‘hat’ tournament is because this is a game where players don’t register as teams, but rather as individuals. They get assigned teams one the day of the tournament. This encourages them to meet and mix with new people. It also ensures that weaker players play with the gurus of Ultimate, which is a huge learning experience.
Statistics from the first tournament seem encouraging, with The USHA Big Fat Goa Hat registering 120 players in all, 12 of which were international participants, and 20 of which were Goan. Another encouraging sign is the level of youth interest being highlighted, with a total of eight under-15 players registering for the event. Whether this is a sign of bigger things to come, time will tell. If you’re not in on the latest sporting trend, perhaps it is time to get in on the action, head over to your nearest Ultimate playing field, and throw your hat into the ring.
