Borneo’s biggest Ultimate frisbee tournament next weekend
KOTA KINABALU: The 9th Borneo Headhunters Hat Ultimate frisbee tournament will be held next weekend at the Sukma field in Jalan Tuaran, on March 9 and 10.
Some 300 players from around the world will be competing in this annual sports event here.
The unique tournament, the biggest of its kind in Borneo, will see participants from 15 countries join Sabahan players in the niche developing sport that is gaining popularity across the world.
Players from the United States, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Germany, South Korea, Austria, Vietnam, New Zealand, Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei and West Malaysia will fly into Sabah for the weekend, most of them specifically for the tournament.
“Over the years, we have rapidly gained a good following for this tournament, which has led to an overwhelming response,” said tournament director Dinoza Mahruf.
“People sign up as soon as registration opens online and we reach our capacity within 14 minutes. But it is not a ‘firstcome-first-served system as the organisers curate the participants to be able to provide the best exposure and experience for the players in Sabah,” he said.
In the unique tournament format, called a “hat”,players sign up as individuals and rate themselves on their skills, fitness and experience. The committee then has the task of dividing up players into 16 teams as equally as possible.
Players, who range from beginners to experienced, then have to play the weekend on their new team, getting to know their teammates and form new dynamics and teamwork in order to outplay the other teams.
The game, played with a plastic disc, is played between two teams with seven players from each team on the field.
The goal of the game is to pass the disc between teammates to the goal line without interception of dropping the disc and players cannot move when they have the disc in hand.
The game is unique in that both genders play at the same time, with a ratio of four males to three females, or five males to two females. The sport is also nonrefereed, so onus is on the players to maintain good sportsmanship and respect at all times, also known as “Spirit of the Game”.
“The Spirit of the Game is really what makes Ultimate frisbee stand out from other sports. Players have to referee themselves, which means a high integrity for themselves and their opponents, and good knowledge of the rules. It is also a non-contact sport, which means players have to be aware of their space and practice self-restraint when going for the disc,” said Dinoza.
To place emphasis on the Spirit of the Game, prizes are awarded not only for the best performance by a team, but also the most “Spirited” team, that displayed outstanding conduct throughout the tournament.
In Sabah, the game has been played by a small community for about 10 years. The first Borneo Headhunters Hat was a mostly local affair of 36 players, and has grown rapidly into one of the best known tournaments of its kind in the region.
“We only have space for 300 players at a maximum and this year, almost 800 people signed up. We would like to be able to grow and accommodate more people, but the limited field space doesn't allow any more growth,” he said.
“It's a shame, because it really does put Kota Kinabalu and Sabah on the map for the sport and this could help us grow the sport here,” he added, explaining that the tournament is run by a small group of volunteers who used to be players.
As a non-profit event, the event depends on the generosity of its sponsors to help run the tournament.
“We need to thank them for keeping this event running,” he said, naming Kasigui No.1, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Sabah, TinyRobot, Signél Hostel, Evergold Metal Roofing Sdn. Bhd., Excellence Training and Consultancy Sdn Bhd, El Enterprise, Amazing Borneo, North Borneo Cruises, Borneo Demand Productions, Wengman Sports Apparel, Ozuko World, Innolink, PX5, Synergist Physiotherapy, MILO Malaysia, Nestle Fitnesse, Walnut Bakery and Sandii as the sponsors.
The tournament will be held at the Sukma field/Padang Sukma on Jalan Tuaran, on 9 and 10 of March. Games start at 8am on the 9th, and the finals for around 3pm on Sunday. Entry is free to the public. For more information, please contact +016802 0977 Dinoza Mahruf.