Chennai, Sep 30: Chennai Ultimate Frisbee (CUF) is organizing 'Chennai Heat 2009', India's biggest ultimate frisbee tournament on Oct 2nd, 3rd and 4th at the Elliots Beach, Besant Nagar. Ultimate, an exciting racy non-contact co-ed sport that combines the best aspects of football, basketball, and American football, is the fastest growing sport in the world.
Ten national teams of 150 men and women athletes will battle it out on the Chennai beaches for the title of the second edition of the Chennai Heat tournament. This year's edition, approved by the International forum, Beach Ultimate Lovers Association (BULA), promises a lot of action in the 3 day flood-lit tournament and is a must watch for all sports aficionados.
The tournament will see a fair share of participation from expats who live in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Auroville from where the teams hail. Mark Scott from the AV Ultimate team in Auroville says “Ultimate is a great way for expats to settle in India. The Auroville team has a number of non-Indian players who have found familiarity and friends in India because of Ultimate”. Women participants also form a vital part of the tournament. Ranjani Shanker, who plays on Chennai Chakraa says, “In Ultimate, men and women compete equally and I have not seen this in any other sport”.
Ultimate, dubbed as the thinking man’s sport, attracts the smartest athletes from various walks of life. Members of The Flying Dutchmen, IIM Ahmedabad’s Ultimate team, manage to fit in 1 hour of the game at midnight everyday under flood lights. Amit Bhageria, a student at the IIM-A says “Ultimate helps me unwind and focus when I hit the books. Playing Frisbee has been a time-honoured tradition at the IIM-A for decades. Even after I join the corporate world, Ultimate will be an integral part of my schedule”.
Disc-O-Deewane, a Bangalore team, is a bunch of adventure sport enthusiasts and rock climbers, turned Ultimate Frisbee players. Gnana Shekar, one of the founding members of this team loves the sport because it is non-contact, uni-sex and played with a high-level of sportsmanship. “There are no referees even at the international level. You call your own fouls. This sport hence attracts honest athletes who compete at the fiercest levels with integrity”.
Learning to Fly, the defending champion has had a team together for close to a decade. The team has its players returning from all parts of the world to make sure they defend the title which they won by beating Chennai’s team Chakraa in a nail-biting finish in 2008.
Pattu Subramaniam, one of the Tournament Directors says “The event saw international participation through Sri Lanka last year, but the team was unable to make it this year. Plans are in the pipeline for having at least 2-3 international teams over for our next tournament. This is the right time for sponsors and the sport to benefit mutually through collaborative tournaments such as these.”
Block your calendars this long weekend for some free exciting sporting action. More details on the tournament can be found at www.chennaiheat.com
Sep 30, 2009
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