Subang Jaya, 11 October 2005
UiTM first scaled the heights of Mount Everest in 2004 and now a year later UiTM is pioneering the skies by promoting the sport of Ultimate Frisbee among colleges and universities. With the solid support of HITZ.fm, UiTM (Shah Alam campus) welcomed nine teams and almost 100 players in the largest Ultimate Frisbee tournament to date ever held in Malaysia this past September 17th.

For the uninitiated, Ultimate Frisbee (often just referred to as “Ultimate”) is a sport that reflects elements from many other sports including netball, rugby, basketball and volleyball. Two teams of seven players score points by catching a flying disc in their designated scoring zones. Defenders seek to prevent attackers from completing their passes and so force turnovers. There is continual motion both on offense and defense, with players often jumping and diving to catch the disc.

Simplicity, fast-paced action, flexibility and economics have helped Ultimate become a sport enjoyed by more than 200,000 players worldwide, including in ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. “Ultimate” is now a fixture in the World Games. Coincidentally, Singapore hosted an international Ultimate Frisbee tournament the same weekend in September, attracting teams from throughout the region.

In Shah Alam, UiTM (Shah Alam), UKM, UM, INTI, and UiTM (Dungun) fought tooth and nail for the title, but in the end it was INTI that prevailed over UiTM in the championship round by a score of 4-1. INTI began playing formally last year and has been a advocate for Ultimate from the beginning. With both teams worn out from having played four or five games already, the fitness and experience of INTI saw them to victory. In the women’s division, UiTM managed to prevail over “Seroja,” a mixed team of women with plenty of spirit, but not quite enough experience for victory.

Participants were unanimous in their positive assessment of both the event and of the sport in general. In the words of UKM Team Captain Mohd Azlizan Omar, Ultimate is “one sport that is good because while it is not overly aggressive, it is still plenty of fun…easy to learn and play and encourages a spirit of friendship and cooperation among players.” Another, Firdaus Mohamed, stated that Ultimate “is great for leisure time because it doesn’t require a lot of cost and is a friendly game.” Still another pointed out the value of fitness.

Safwan Mohd Aris is a family man with a love for the sport and a desire to see Ultimate grow here in Malaysia. Despite a heavy workload, Safwan weekly drops by UiTM to help give direction to the team’s training. Watching the championship game and commenting on the event, Safwan noted “It’s a good opportunity for players to get broader experience and develop relationships…otherwise they are playing in isolation. It’s also a good venue for spotting talent.”

Jason Khoo, HITZ.fm Marketing and Promotion Manager, believes Ultimate will be an easy sell to those who take the initiative to check it out. “Ultimate is great because the fun never stops…it really lends itself to creativity and style as well. We’re glad to help promote the sport.”

Global Sports Partners (GSP) is a local company manufacturing MyDiscTM, the 175 gram discs used in the worldwide sport.

According to Douglas Ladner, GSP Director of Development, Ultimate is “a good fit for Malaysia not only because right now the Ministry of Youth and Sport is strongly promoting mass sport, but also because – unlike many other sports – no single ethnic group has strong association with it. It really builds bridges.” Malay, Chinese and Indians are all enjoying Ultimate - it has even been taken to East Malaysia.

The future looks bright in Malaysia for Ultimate. The next larger tournament will be the UiTM Inter-Branch Sports Carnival (Karisma) in December where every branch will be sending a men’s and women’s team to compete. Every secondary school in Perlis will be forming teams leading to competition in early 2006. The Ministry of Youth and Sports is drawing up plans to introduce Ultimate through its Rakan Muda programmes, following up earlier exposure through the National Fitness Council. Local companies and organisations are making plans to include Ultimate as part of their annual family days. The sky is the limit!