Ultimately..

R.AGE Cover Story, 7 August 2006:

"Bad refereeing, poor sportsmanship, play-acting, illegal challenges - these are just some items from the long list of things that bring shame to many professional and amateur sports today."

...

It does not have to be like this and those who follow Ultimate Frisbee firmly believe that sportsmanship should never come second to winning. This is the Spirit of the Game.

...

It is down to the players themselves, as individuals and as a team to determine how they would behave and act on the pitch, both to themselves and to the other team.

The Golden Rule of the Spirit of the Game is to "treat others as you would want to be treated;" a spirited game can only come about through mutual respect and players assuming the best of each other.

That's right, the most unpopular sport in Kedah - Ultimate Frisbee.

One might call it a "Weak Game", one might call it a "Dog's Game", but i still prefer the other name for it.

"Gentlemen's Game".

Lewl.

Okay, okay, not exactly a "Gentlemen's Game", but i couldn't deny that in my opinion, Ultimate Frisbee is considered the best-mannered sport ever - a sport that still makes you perspire while avoiding body contact with others.

What makes frisbee so special to me?

1) The chance to run

I admit it, i don't quite like jogging, but i'd do it if you ask me to. But i just don't like jogging much. Biking.. Not really too, though again, i'd gladly do it if you ask me to.

So where can i train my leg muscles?

Volleyball? Badminton?

Volleyball - Not much running in a volleyball court, you just need the brains to receive a ball, set it, and spike it. More unto arm-strength than leg-strength.

Badminton - Playing badminton's quite an effective way to get sweat pouring out of your body in a few hours. One of my favourites. But still, the only person that can make me really sweat while running for the shuttlecock is Aaron, :|

Frisbee?

Frisbee is a combination of the two above.

Stamina, speed, strategy, sweat, they're all mixed into a seemingly easy game.

But is it easy as it seems?

Imagine having to run back and forth in the field just to get a single 175 grammed disc - That'll take the stamina of a football player.
Imagine having to jump a few feet high just to get a single 175 grammed disc - That'll take the jumping height of a basketball player.
Imagine having to try and have fun on the field, always upholding the Spirit of the Game, and not using vulgarities at all - That'll take the courtesy of a true gentleman.
Imagine having to plan a strategy to beat the other team - That'll take the cunningness of a politician.

Just kidding about the politician part.

And oh, just to explain why i don't quite like jogging, but like Ultimate instead - I guess i need to have a target to chase. Jogging seems "meaningless" to me without something to chase after, :|

2) The Players and the Spirit of the Game

Well, ya know, it's actually hard to find foul-mouthed Ultimate players (If you don't meet me, that is), and people who intentionally slam into you so as to get the disc. As i said, a "Gentlemen's Game". Disputes are settled verbally in a polite manner, and no punishment is given to those who commit fouls - assuming that players commit fouls at all.

.. Back to my point today.

Well, actually joined the frisbee tourney in Polo Grounds, Penang, with my teammates - Joe, Asyraf, Chandra, Eugene, Nigel. Notice that there're only six of us? Well, i'll explain later.

I was elected team captain for no reason - which makes me responsible for registering the team, and asking my teammates to control their behaviour on the field (if they're rude or something).

I never asked for them to vote me as the captain. I swear.

Luckily, Teoh came at last minute to inform us that he was able to join and play as a player - he was supposed to help out the organizers originally. Not complaining am i? Teoh did all the "captain's work", while i tagged along behind him and watched.

***

The players were "diversified" as there were local players (Malays, Chineses, Indians), American players and even Nigerian. A total of 8 teams participated in today's tourney, and one of them is us - the Unsung SP'ers.

Unsung SP'ers?

The name was thought by Teoh, doesn't sound frightening, but its better than our original ideas.

"Penang General Hospital" - said Eugene, referring to the hospital opposite the field.

"Kumar's Angels" - said i, referring to Chandra's T-Shirt that says "Kumar's Textiles".

"Tenaga Nasional Berhad" - said Chandra, referring to Asyraf's T-Shirt.

So, looking at our initial ideas, Unsung SP'ers seems.. seems.. good enough for us.

After waiting and waiting, we came to our first round - against some Malay team called "Coma".

Coma

I still have to say the same one thing about Malays:

They run bloody fast.

Alright, not really fast, but what amazes me is their stamina. Only Teoh in our team has the ability to compete with their stamina, but not us. Gradually Teoh was out of breath too, seeing as none of us was running fast enough to help him much in the game. There was a player that pissed me off too - as his blockings were all body-contact, restricting my arm movement etc.

What i said to him - "Get your hands off me". Lewl.

Final score: We lost by two points if im not wrong, as we didn't score any goals.

*Oh, forgot to say that i tripped over my teammate's leg again this round, which brought me sliding on the field. Didn't hurt much, except for the fact that my knee wound from yesterday bursted into blood. Okay i'm exaggerating, it just bled.*

The inexistent lunch bell rang, signalling the time for us to fill our grumbling stomachs. The Unsung SP'ers - that's us, walked across the street, heading for Penang General Hospital's canteen for food..

.. Just to find out that their canteen wasn't fit at all for a hospital.

Nasi briyani, capati, ayam tandoori, all sorts. The food were more suitable in a Nasi Kandar stall.

And i thought that food in hospital canteens are supposed to be HEALTHY for PATIENTS to eat?

Obviously not this. This hospital canteen serves food that's for HEALTHY people to eat and be PATIENTS in their hospital.

No one managed to eat much - I just ate two slices of fruitcake just to stifle the groaning of my stomach and keep me alive. Barely.

Our second opponent after our lunch break -

"Team USM" (Forgot their team name)

This team has to be the coolest team that i've seen the whole day. Americans, Chineses, a Nigerian (Told you so), and i forgot what more. Playing with them was fun, as they're quite friendly and are willing to accept their mistakes. The atmosphere was definitely more relaxed and different from the first round - which was like a war instead of a game.

Our team players actually started to RUN more this match, however insignificant the effect is. And i ignored my aching knee-wound and ran as hard i can too - towards their end-zone, and at last our team scored by a few points.

Final score - We lost by only a point.

And just after we finished our second round, we had to face our third opponent - WITHOUT ANY REST.

Awesome.

Revelation

Nothing much to say about this team, they were around the same level as us, but a little bit higher. "Higher" not only in terms of skill but height too. I was dispirited looking at their "highly-charged" faces, especially without any rest time (I mean for us). Moreover, i was actually secretly hoping that i'd be substituted out so that i can rest (I didn't get substituted one single time in the last two matches). Cruelly, my wish came true - in a way that i'd never wished for.

After around a goal scored by each team, i started to run towards the opponent's endzone again..

.. Till ..

.. Till my left leg started to hurt.

A muscle cramp.

Damn, at this time?

Had no choice but to see the Revelations score yet another goal for their team, before i told Teoh that i had a muscle cramp on my leg.
By a stroke of bad luck, actually found out that Nigel got the same problem too, and we were both substituted out for a while, and started to stretch our legs.

Though i got my wish at last - to be substituted out and have a chance to watch the match, the price is the pain that throbs at the joint of my left leg (behind my knee).

The game went on as usual with regular ferocity and speed.

Eugene gives a far throw.
Teoh sprints towards the direction where the disc was flying to - the endzone.
Teoh gets near the disc.
Teoh dives.
He catches the disc.
And falls on the ground, sliding as i always do.

Though he was unluckier.

From what i've seen, when Teoh dived, i guess he injured his knee or something. All i saw was him curled up on the ground, grimacing in pain, clutching his knee. He couldn't stand up at all, so he had to crawl back to the "Organizer's tent" for first-aid.

No choice.

Nigel and i had to go back into the game - even though my leg-cramp are still throbbing everytime i run.

And that was the last pull of the disc - as it was time-out before we could score a goal (or the other team could). I actually heaved a thankful sigh when i heard the siren, being thankful that the game didnt last longer - or i might faint, XD.

Our final score?
A tie!

Geez, noticed that our scores improved by each match, though it still wasn't enough. I was kinda sad with how fate works - so many leg injuries on the last game.

And i missed out one thing - everytime we lost a game to the opposing team, Teoh would gather us all, thank the other team, and wish them goodluck with a triple "Hip hip hooray!". Frisbee courtesy - the Spirit of the Game.

After the end of the game, we went to sit at the sides - behind the Organizer's tent, while swapping chats between different team's players too. All the players were super-duper friendly, especially the USM team - nearly everyone of them did small chat with us (mostly me and Teoh), and.. Ah well, they're just friendly, that's all.

My parents came at around 1500, and it was time for me to go home already. Got a complimentary MyDisc from Douglas (The one in charge), said goodbye to him, to all the other team's players, and of course to my own team members, before i started my journey back home.

***

If frisbee was a religion, i'd definitely be converted already - thanks to all the frisbee players that i've met out there who're so friendly and outgoing.

And.. to think that frisbee doesn't help in academics. This might prove you wrong.

Till then, bye. I'm so tired and my whole body aches. My eyelids are drooping and i have no idea why i'm still writing this post. Forgive me for lack of details and any mistakes (factual / grammatical) that i've made. I'm too sleepy to recheck my post.

Ultimate..!