AsiaLIFE

If you see a group of people chasing a flying plastic thing, it may just be the Penh’s newest sport, ultimate frisbee. Craig Gerard unravels the story behind Angelina’s Orphans.

Fourteen sweaty bodies run in a chaotic pattern on the hard grass. Someone yells, “Stack on Amie.” At once, the mass converges into the centre of the pitch. One by one, players peel off to the left or right. Another yells, “No huck! No huck!” but the person with the disc breaks the mark. Seeing a teammate with nothing but green behind him, launches one deep down the field.

Over the last two years, Ultimate Frisbee has gaining popularity in the Penh as it has across Southeast Asia. Greg Bloom, a veteran of Ultimate for thirteen years, says that part of the game’s attraction is its accessibility to everyone. “You play it co-ed,” he says. ”And you don't need a lot of equipment to enjoy it. Just a field and a disc.”

Played on a rectangular field, with end zones at either end, the object is to pass the Frisbee to your teammates and work it up the field without letting it hit the ground and without running once you catch it. If a pass is dropped or intercepted, the other team takes over. Each catch in the end zone is worth a point. It’s not easy, but it is fun.

A key element is the spirit of the game, says Greg. “The philosophy of playing hard but playing clean and respecting your opponents, Ultimate is the rare sport where, even at the highest level, referees are not used.”

In 1967, a group of high school students in New Jersey created a game they called Frisbee Football. What started out as a freeform game with few rules and 20 people a team, quickly developed into the sport today. Ultimate Frisbee started in Phnom Penh in October 2008, when a group of Frisbee playing expats moved to Cambodia around the same time. Since then, over 100 people have expressed interest in playing Ultimate. While some come just to try it once, others are more serious. Some have travelled to regional tournaments in Bangkok, Manila, Saigon and Singapore as a travelling team, named Angelina’s Orphans.

At the beginning of March, the Orphans decided to host their own Ultimate tournament – the Second Annual Phnom Penh Big Phat Hat. A “hat” tournament is where players enter as individuals. Teams are selected by pulling names out of a hat based on skill to make teams even. With 85 players participating from countries around the region, and a weekend full of disc, the Phat Hat was the largest event the group had planned to date.

Many newbies joined the weekly pickup game at the tournament, including a significant number of Cambodians. While the Orphans are mostly expats, Greg wants to bring the game to Cambodians as well. “It’s important to recruit locals for the longevity of the sport in Cambodia,” he says. “But more than that, locals would enjoy it.”

The team is looking to some of the local universities to see if there are students interested in joining. “There's no reason Cambodians wouldn't enjoy the sport as much as the Vietnamese, Filipinos and Singaporeans, who have embraced the sport in large numbers.”

While Phnom Penh Ultimate still has a long way to go to catch up with their neighbours, the Orphans have much to be proud of. In mid-May, the group will travel to Kuala Lumpur for the annual Malaysia Open tournament. “Many players don't really get hooked on the sport until they've played their first tournament abroad,” says Greg. “So come along with us and get hooked!”

Fabulous Photo courtesy of Daniel Nuss
Phnom Penh Ultimate plays pick up games Sundays at 3.30pm and Wednesdays at 6am. For more information, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit: www.phnompenhultimate.com