Love frisbee? Explore the sport with Game Nights at Juhu Beach

Itrsquos that special time in the sporting calendar where the focus momentarily shifts to the athletes who have been working tirelessly away from the spotlight If you head to Juhu Beach on a Sunday morning you might find one in Samarth Shetty a professional ultimate frisbee coach and cofounder of School of Ultimate who has his eyes set on promoting the sport in the city leading up to its possible Olympics debut soonA moment from an evening session for adultsFrom the 2015 Asia Oceanic Championship in Hong Kong to the 2017 World Championships of Beach Ultimate the humble disc aka frisbee is serious business for the athlete Yet for most passersby at Juhu Beach who stop to catch a glimpse of his training sessions every week itrsquos as good as an unidentified flying object With the introduction of new Game Nights series starting tomorrow enthusiasts will get the chance to deepdive into the sport with a fun twistDecoding the discThe athlete explains the sport to us using familiar analogies ldquoA sevenplayer team navigates its way through the field to get the disc to the end zone much like a football game But unlike the field sport you cannot run past an opponent with the disc in hand yoursquoll find a similar rule in basketballrsquos travel regulationsrdquo he explains A point we learn is scored when a pass is received inside the end zone akin to American footballSamarth Shetty and Shruti ChopraTaking the game to the beach was far from a desperate measure for the Andheriresident ldquoUltimate frisbee is played on two surfaces mdash sand and grass The stretches of Juhu Beach where there is minimal public movement provide the right space the game requires a minimum area of 25m x 75m and terrain As of now we havenrsquot tried taking our sessions to other beaches in the cityrdquo he shares adding that the community also heads to football turfs across the city for a change of scenery from time to timeAn equal sportShruti Chopra cofounder reveals how the sport is setting the bar high The format followed in India under the regulatory body Ultimate Players Association of India a member of the World Flying Disc Federation makes it one of the few mixedgender sports in the country ldquoWe follow a gender ratio rule that switches between a 34 ratio and 43 ratio between men and women every two points to give every player equal play timerdquo she informs usWhile this decision is a welcome one another might garner mixed reactions ldquoRegular ultimate matches are selfofficiated meaning there is no referee who oversees the games We place our trust in our teammates and opponents to play a fair game In international matches yoursquoll see officials but their intervention is minimalrdquo she reasonsWhatrsquos the game planThe duo admits that the sport is competing with a host of more popular options available in the city today One that stands out is the gradual resurrection of pickleball Shetty reveals ldquoWhile a game of pickleball can be played on existing infrastructure the need for a large enough field doesnrsquot pair well with the real estate rates here in MumbairdquoShetty in white instructs a player during a sessionFor Chopra the barrier and the key to crack it lies in ease of adoption ldquoParents introduce children to the sports they grew up playing We are up against popular games that they would rather opt for when presented with options The key is to make it easier to get into by simplifying the concepts and presenting them to enthusiastsrdquo she suggests With the Maharashtra State Championships slated for August 16 to 18 followed by the World Ultimate Championships in Australia on August 31 the duo has their postOlympics plans taken care of ON Tomorrow 4 pm Game Night Wednesdays 830 pm onwards and Sundays 7 am onwards regular classesAT Juhu Beach details revealed on registrationLog on to schoolofultimate on InstagramENTRY Rs 200 Game NightAlso ReadOlympic design through the agesTop gearExperts recommend these standard 175gm discs to kickstart your journeygtgtDiscraftLog on to Discraft Ultra on amazoningtgtAriaLog on to ariadiscsGet game readygtgtMumbai Ultimate FrisbeeThis community of ultimate frisbee players hosts regular camps and workshops for beginners in the cityLog on to mumbaiultimategtgtStorm ChasersOne of Mumbairsquos oldest ultimate frisbee clubs their beginner camps and friendly matches can be the perfect first introduction to the gameLog on to stormchasersmumbai