My Ulti-ventures: Mumbai

Ultimate is a sport that transcends all borders. At least that's what I realized when I played a pickup game with Mumbai's team, the Storm Chasers, this summer. I met this team on the beaches of Mumbai one Saturday morning, after getting in touch with them in advance. Although the sport is only two years old in India, the players were very skilled and well-versed in the rules. Their captain mentioned that most of their development was through watching and learning from 'Ultimate' videos on YouTube. They did have American players who visited and contributed to their start-up, but they have progressed much further on their own. When I was told that some of their players were away at a tournament in Southern India, I began to realize just how quickly the sport was growing in India. After the hugely successful 'Ahmedabad Ultimate's First Official Tournament' back in July of 2006, there have been attempts to host several other tournaments around the country. One major tournament is 'Chennai Heat', which was highly regarded by the Storm Chasers for its quality of fields.

I asked why the Storm Chasers weren't playing on fields and was immediately answered. Fields, or a lack of them, are a great problem for any sport activity in Mumbai. If there is a field, it is usually reserved for cricket, field hockey, or is private or flooded. So instead of enjoying the freedom to layout for a disk on grass, the team is forced to hold practice on a small strip of the somewhat unclean and unsafe beach. The team said they savoured the time they spent in Chennai playing Ultimate.

"Most of us have jobs or school or both," said the captain, "but we all still find time to meet at least once a week to play together and improve." With strategies and throws quite different from what I was used to, I found it quite hard to keep up. I was really impressed by their skills and team mentality. It renewed my spirits as I came back to Toronto for a season with my own touring team. I did take part in the 'Ultimate Exchange', which is essentially a trade of Ultimate gear between two international parties. The Storm Chasers' captain offered his jersey without anything in return. I couldn't simply walk away with it, so I gave him my Toronto Ultimate Club disc and a cotton Canada shirt.

For a relatively new sport, it took quite a while to reach this far in terms of growth in the western world. When I was at the Mixed Division Tryouts in Toronto, a confused and upset soccer player asked me why there were so many people on the field chasing discs. Although he phrased it in a vulgar fashion, I remained as diplomatic as possible as I explained the rules of the sport. Historically, one of the main reasons is the lack of exposure in the media to this high-pace sport. However, even the slightest mention of a tournament in India sends newspapers on a frenzy. Just check the exposure 'Chennai Heat 2009' got! These days, there is usually a news crew at any major tournament in Canada. Sometimes, there are even games shown on TV! But, it's the dedication of the players and the opportunistic nature of organizations like UltiVillage that make it possible for the masses to view games live over the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Ultimate is now played in most major cities in India and chances are you will come across a pickup game. If you are visiting Mumbai, and would like to get in touch with the Storm Chasers, I recommend checking out their Facebook page, or getting their contact information from PickupUltimate.com.