In 1968 the student staff of the school paper at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey USA started the game as a gag looking for something to do to occupy their free evenings. In those early days they would have 20 or 30 players on a team. Over time they developed the rules to eliminate running with the disc, limit team sizes, and set rules for defensive plays. As it turns out, they loved the game so much that they referred to it as “the ultimate game.” The game of Ultimate was born. As those students moved on to different universities they brought their love and passion for the game with them.

For more information check out this site: www.whatisultimate.com

Ultimate has been played in Malaysia for a number of years, but mostly among some of the foreigners living in Kuala Lumpur who had learned the sport in their home countries. Some of the locals who joined in had learned the sport while studying overseas. This began to change in 2003 when a number of students at UiTM Dungun (Terengganu) were introduced to the sport while participating in a cultural exchange programme with visiting American students. They had so much fun playing “Ultimate” that they asked the programme organizers, Global Sports Partners (GSP), to find some more discs in KL so that they could introduce the sport during a special camp for orphans that they were planning.

After discovering that discs were hard to find locally, GSP decided to manufacture discs here in Malaysia in late 2003. The first MyDiscTM was produced in 2004. This proved to be the breakthrough for Ultimate in Malaysia as for the first time, a decent, affordable disc was available to help fuel the development of the sport. In May of 2004, a series of workshops for teachers was organized by GSP under the Selangor Department of Education. Teachers from more than 100 schools enjoyed learning to play and returned to their schools with discs, a demo video and instruction materials.

While a few schools in Selangor began to play, the sport really began to grow in colleges and universities. The Star newspaper played a pivotal role in this growth. Following the Selangor schools initiative, a front page article with plenty of pictures got the attention of many local players who had enjoyed the sport while studying abroad, but did not realize the sport was taking off here in Malaysia. Several of these local players not only began to play, but began to encourage and support efforts to continue to grow the sport, especially in the colleges and universities. In each college or university, the sports officers were looking for new ideas but faced budget limitations. MyDisc and Ultimate Frisbee always received a warm response.

A few months later, En Mustaza Ahmad, head of the UiTM sport unit recognized the potential of the sport and so introduced it to each of UiTM branch sports heads in every state. The first tournament was held in July of 2004, a triangular tournament organized by GSP and hosted by UiTM Shah Alam with UKM and UM also participating. A second tournament was held in September at UiTM, with Hitz.fm sponsoring the event. The Star continued to provide coverage with a series of articles, fanning the flame of the sport in a widening circle of colleges and universities. A second critical supporting element was the development of website, www.ultimatemalaysia.com that became a place not only for news to be reported but players to plan ongoing events and discuss aspects of the game.

Unlike many sports that depend on pricey sponsorships or advertising, Ultimate has grown in Malaysia primarily by word of mouth and the efforts of those who catch the “Ultimate bug” to share the sport with their friends wherever they go. Still, the corporates have recognized the potential of Ultimate. In 2006, DIGI sponsored Ultimate in a National Service Programme (PLKN) pilot project. While wildly successful, NS budget cuts prevented the sport from becoming a permanent fixture. In July of that year, a tournament at UM saw 28 teams and more than 300 players taking part, again with support from DIGI.

As the sport was growing in the colleges and universities, a growing number of teams were being formed in the community as well. “Flying Naan” and “Satu Lagi” are two of the more established teams whose players are a mixture of locals and foreigners and primarily working age adults. A number of students who have graduated have joined their ranks. These teams along with others (including student teams from UiTM) have represented Malaysia in international competitions held within the region.

League play in Malaysia was kicked off in 2007 with four teams taking part in a round robin event held over three months. In November of 2008, the Malaysia Ultimate League (MUL) kicked off with six teams with matches scheduled to run into 2009. While more organized play evolved in the Klang Valley, hubs for Ultimate began to grow in a number of other locations as well, including Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan and most recently, Penang. Two new websites, www.malaysiaultimate.com and www.sabahultimate.com have helped fuel some of this growth. Perhaps most significant has been a generation of university Ultimate players who have wrapped up their studies but not their love for Ultimate. These Ultimate enthusiasts have taken the sports to new states, schools and colleges and communities.

The growth of Ultimate also began to catch the eye of a number of government ministries. While the Ministry of Youth and Sports had dabbled with Ultimate on several different occasions, it was the Department of National Unity and Integration (JPNIN) which began to take greater initiative in 2007, hosting several events and making plans for a national initiative. The Ministry of Education also began to take initiative in 2008, taking initiative in 2009 to invite school representatives from every state for a an Ultimate Clinic which was held in Melaka. It is expected that 2010 will witness even greater attention to the sport with growing support from educational leadership for developing a greater sports culture in the nation with every student taking part.

The growth in Malaysia has parallel the growth of the sport in the region. International tournaments are held almost on a monthly basis; Singapore has long been a leader in the region, always hosting a tournament in late August or early September. Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines all host tournaments throughout the year. The first Malaysian Open was held in 2007; in 2008 Soidawgz of Thailand defeated Freakshow of Singapore in the finals held at Padang Merbok in KL. In 2009 and upcoming in May of 2010, the Malaysian Ultimate Open will once again be held at Alice Smith International School in Serdang. A full slate of teams from throughout Asia Pacific – including Australia – are expected to participate.

The best is certainly yet to come as the sport continues to grow not only in Malaysia, but in the region and around the world. The sport is sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee and now features regularly in the World Games, held every four years. It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 active players worldwide as the growth of the sport continues to accelerate. The Worldwide Flying Disc Federation (www.wfdf.org) is the umbrella body for clubs and associations around the world. An online search will quickly reveal the reach of the sport into every corner of the globe. A few minutes on www.youtube.com will let you see Ultimate played by men and women of various racial, cultural and religious backgrounds.

Perhaps it can be best said that for Ultimate Frisbee in Malaysia and around the world that, “the sky is the limit!” At the end of the day, it is not the excitement of a fast-paced match, it is not the love of throwing or catching a disc, it is not the thrill of victory or other intricacies of the sport but rather the “Spirit of the Game” that wins hearts and bodies to Ultimate and keeps them captive. The Spirit of the Game reminds all that the most important thing are the relationships we develop whether on or off the pitch and in the end, our world will be a better place because of it.

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