These local girls are part of the first ever Indian team to take part in global frisbee events
Maitreyi, Meena and Sushmita
A sport where men and women play as equals, where they are their own referees, where the flying disc that defies gravity is actually a sport that no one has possibly heard of before. Ultimate Frisbee is catching up on the sporting scene in Bengaluru and three city girls – Sushmita Azad, Maitreyi Ananth and Meena Kallappa are on the first ever Indian team to compete at the World U-23 Frisbee Championship in London! Having finished in the ninth place, they are now prepping for the impending Singapore Ultimate Open next month.
For Sushmita Azad juggling between an Information Science degree at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology and learning Odissi, this Ultimate sport was a natural draw. “I got into it because I saw my future best friends at my new school talk excitedly about it,” says the 21-year-old. Sushmita’s dream came true when she was chosen as one of the 24 players on a team that’s the first to represent the country globally. “We now have 11 teams in just Bengaluru!” she says. The group worked tirelessly to raise over '18 lakh through crowdfunding from people across the world. Their Australian coach Dan Rule too, agreed to volunteer his time to train them.
Joining Sushmita on her pursuit of happiness is Maitreyi Ananth who even streaked her hair a fiery red for the Under 23 Championships at London. “It’s not just a big moment to be representing the country but our teams, families and the hardwork that went into it,” says the lass who shuttled between Chennai and Bengaluru, living in a small town away from anyone who knew or played Ultimate Frisbee. A day after the finals, she’s already got her eyes on the Singapore Ultimate Tournament, looking forward to participate in the first ever Indian women’s team. “I don’t study right now, but worked at a school earlier. A Master’s in physical or outdoor education is on my mind next,” she says.
Shuttling between their education and their passion for the sport is something that these women do effortlessly. “Practicing after college every day is non-negotiable,” says 21-year-old Meena Kallappa who bagged the Most Valuable Player award against USA. “When a tournament is around the corner, I skip studies and sometimes I skip practice during exams,” says Meena who is making her mother, a garment factory worker, proud with her skills. “I was a kho kho player at Lyola School and my coach Lakshmi Narayan introduced us to the sport,” she says, now sporting the Indian jersey – her proudest moment as she recalls, and well on her way to join the rest of them on the first ever women’s Indian team. And that’s how these girls were part of a dream that has now been realised.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
