For 20 years now, an exciting with minimal contact sport – the Ultimate Frisbee has been played in Uganda.
Seldom does a sport little known to the general public pick steadily across the vast sporting disciplines in the country.
Ultimate Frisbee involves two teams playing the disc with the main aim for the goal area. It owes its origin to Ohio. Way back in 1942, it was been played by students of the Amhrest and Kenyon Colleges.
Scoring in an ultimate Frisbee game
Long Trek to Kampala, Uganda:
Ultimate Frisbee was started in Kampala in 1995 when one Sunday afternoon,a small group of friends started throwing a disc around.
In 1999 and 2000, a small group of people led by Alex Matovu and Jordan teamed up to start the Kampala Ultimate Frisbee Club and today there is a national body for the sport , Uganda Utimate Frisbee Association, and a cross section of clubs playing the sport in Fortportal, Bushenyi, Gulu and Kampala. Alex Matovu explains:
The journey of Ultimate Frisbee has been long but exciting. We have recruited many people who play the sport with passion, we have a national league and the team is representing Uganda at the world championships in Dubia
Unlike the other sports disciplines that separate gender when playing Frisbee can be played by both men and women on the same team at the same time.
It mixes the best features of sports such as soccer, basketball, rugby and netball into an elegantly simple yet fascinating and demanding game. Our mission is to develop, manage and sustain the game through the development and support of clubs and the introduction of the game in schools, universities and other organizations while upholding the Spirit of the Game.
Ultimate Frisbee has picked up a strong following of dedicated players since its inception in Uganda 18 years ago. In 2010, a committee of 12 players formed and registered the Uganda Ultimate Frisbee Association with the National Council of Sports and Ultimate became recognized as an Official National Sport.
Team Uganda players in Double Happiness sponsor’s shirt. Barefoot firm and the Uganda Ultimate Frisbee Association are the other sponsors
Uganda Ultimate organizes one of the biggest Grass Frisbee Tournament in Africa named 7-Hilss Classic (7HUC).
It is Uganda’s annual international tournament that is has been organized in Kampala since 2006, it’s held every August or September and brings teams from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Sudan, Burundi and Ethiopia plus various Local teams from around Uganda.
Uganda has won the 7-hills Classic 6 times out 8 times we have organized. In 2011, Uganda won in the FEAST (Frisbee East Africa Sand Tournament) held at Tiwi Beach Mombasa-Kenyan becoming the East Africa Champions for Beach Ultimate since 2011.
The tournament is organized by Nairobi Ultimate Frisbee Club and it attracts all the 5 East African Countries plus South Sudan and Ethiopia Team Uganda has established itself as a regional powerhouse, winning three of the last four beach titles, as well as multiple grass titles.
Lil Wayne impressed by the action of a Frisbee Competitive match
Uganda At the Global Front:
This March (8th-13th 2015 ), Uganda Ultimate Frisbee Association shall be sending a team of 18 players for the World Ultimate Beach Championships to be hosted in Dubai (WCBU2015).
As champions of Frisbee East African Sand Tournament in Mombasa, Uganda Ultimate is going to make history this year as the first team from E. Africa to attend a World Championship of Beach Ultimate .
Through the game of Ultimate we have given hope to displaced children in the formerly war-torn town of Gulu, and supported other charitable organizations.
The friendly and good-spirited group, in keeping with the spirit of the game of Ultimate, ran several charity tournaments- benefiting local orphanages, Habitat for Humanity, and a nursery school for an impoverished neighborhood.
Money was also raised to start a junior ultimate program in a neighboring community.
Tournaments Where Uganda Has Featured:
• 2010: Runners up to Nairobi at FEAST II (beach tournament)
• 2010: Uganda (Kampala) wins 7-Hills Tournament (grass)
• 2011: Uganda won FEAST III
• 2012: Two Uganda teams meet in the finals of FEAST IV!
• 2012: Team Uganda (Kampala) wins 7-Hills once again
• 2013: Uganda defeats South Sudan to win its third consecutive FEAST title
• 2013: Uganda (Kampala) loses to Nairobi, Kenya in the finals of 7-Hills
• 2014: Uganda loses to KFC (Kisumu, Kenya) in an epic battle in the finals in FEAST VI
• 2014: Uganda (Kampala) reclaims its E. Africa grass title by winning 7-Hills Classic
About the Sport:
Ultimate is a limited-contact team field sport played with a flying disc (Frisbee). Points are scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone.
Other basic rules imply that players must not take steps while holding the disc (maintain a pivot), and interceptions and incomplete passes are turnovers.
Rain, wind, or occasionally other adversities can make for a testing match; with rapid turnovers, heightening the pressure of play.
A prominent feature of the modern game is the “lay out,” a horizontal dive to catch or block the disc.
Rules of the Sport:
The two teams begin at opposite end zones and try to advance the disc to the other end zone.
One team pulls to the other team, which is the starting throw to the game. Once in play, the disc may be moved only by passing, so the player holding the disc must stay put (but may pivot on one foot).
If a team successfully advances the disc into the end zone, that team scores a point, the teams swap directions, and the team that scored pulls to the other team.
NB: In Kampala, the team plays every Wednesday at 5:00pm at MUBs and every Sunday (same venue) at 4:00pm.
