Jumping into an open field, armed with guns, geared up to face menacing opponents…. This is no gory face-off but a challenging game that you can be a part of. The National Paintball League is here –— it’s bigger, better and goes international this year. Contestants from all over the world will come together for a volte-face at Sarjapur Road between February 17-19.
An ideal mix of agility, dexterity, mental ability and physical strength is what this game demands. Considered one of the toughest competitive sports in the world, paintball has been making inroads to India successfully in the recent past. Kiran Soans, the CEO of the National Paintball League says, “This year has been a leap for us. Indian teams like NPL All Stars and I’m Your Daddy are forces to reckon with.”
Organisers claim that the response this year has been very encouraging. Over 40 teams have already registered and the numbers are rising. Nokia, Radio Indigo, Genpact, Ogilvy, Obliquity India, Christ University, St Josephs and Indus International are some of the companies and colleges that have already signed up. Facility manager Kaviraj Thapa, team member of NPL All Stars says, “What started as a corporate exercise has become a passion now. I practice rigorously every Sunday, even if it means forgoing time for myself.” Kaviraj and his team have played international tournaments and are considered one of the best in India right now.
For international teams, it’s the right mix of the famous Indian hospitality and of course, team performance that draws them here. Malaysian player Allan Pang of Team Xrioneers says, “It’s always a pleasure to come to India and I enjoyed my last tournament here. We have been following the progress of Indian teams and they have been consistently improving. NPL All Stars will be a tough team to beat.” Pang’s team is one of the top ranked teams in Asia and will be part of the tournament against teams from Nepal, Australia and UAE.
The sport is considered a great way to facilitate team bonding and sportsmanship. Twenty-three year old Rahul Pai of I’m Your Daddy is hooked on to the sport and plans on taking it up professionally, if the facilities improve in India, “Having played in international tournaments, India has a long way to go in achieving high levels in infrastructure and training. It’s definitely generating a lot of interest but we have a long way to go.”
Team up
* Tsunami from Australia
* Xrioneers, Rascal, Air Asia All Star from Malaysia
* Rampage Onslaught from UAE
* NPL All Stars and I'm Your Daddy from India
* NPL from Nepal
* Teams from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Gujarat
Game time
A group of individuals form teams, armed with guns. These guns are loaded with capsules containing water-soluble dyes covered in gelatin shells. Each game lasts eight minutes, and the goal is to defeat the opponents three times in one game. “It’s like a war zone, with paints and people flying everywhere, scrambling for cover and shooting each other,” says Kiran.
Training
The game requires players to be physically fit. Beginners must be agile and able to run fast. Advanced players work out for about four hours and develop various physical skills like sliding, aiming, precision shooting, using bunkers as shields.
Factoid
The safety gear and equipment required can put a commando to shame! You need to wear a face mask, chest guard, pod belt (which has the paintballs), elbow and knee protectors, slider shorts (protects the groin area) and paintball shoes. The equipment is available in all sizes at the venue.
Watch it
Players recommend watching a paintball game live, but you can catch videos online. The facility named Syno, off Sarjapur Road allows visitors and onlookers to watch the games for free.
Calorie count
This is sure to attract all the fitness freaks. Paintball is considered to be a highly effective workout. One can lose up to seven calories per minute! Plus, it’s fun, exciting and dynamic, and keeps a person engaged.
