The Sports Goans Play

Goa has always been a hub for some great sporting talent, with

the likes of Brahmanand Sankhwalkar and Bruno Coutinho being top football players in their time to some familiar faces representing the state and country even today. However, keeping the footballs and cricket bats aside, Goa has slowly become the honing ground for sports not widely heard of in India but have made waves around the world. Two of these sports are Rugby and Ultimate Frisbee.

What started as small groups of friends coming together for some fun slowly grew into a movement that fascinated more people to come out and play. The Goan teams of both Rugby and Ultimate compete at national tournaments and have players that have also represented the country. With so much yet to come for these sports- here is a look at how you can get in on the fun. So grab your shoes, get your game face on, get out, and play!

THE GOA RUGBY MOVEMENT:

When you hear about rugby, you would imagine guys huddled over, scrapping for the ball, or even charging down a field to score a goal. However, rugby is much more than just the physical game we all think it is. Goa has embraced the sport over the last few years, with people from all ages coming in and getting to learn the game and then go on to join a club or even play for the state.

In the last three years, team Goa Rugby has gone from strength to strength with their performances at the national stage in Contact

Rugby tournaments. This year, the teams jumped up to rank 8th and 5th in the men’s and women’s event respectively.

Under the watchful guidance of their coach Mark Fernandes, the teams powered through Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the league and Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu again in the knockouts ending the season on an all-time high.

With a new season lined up, each team has a target in mind. With stellar performances at tournaments in the past, both teams are looking forward to another successful outing at the national championships.

With Goa making its mark on the rugby pitch, you can get in on the action too. With some of the clubs, offering to get beginners into the sport and take it to a larger audience- here is your chance to pick up your cleats and head to the ground.

ARE YOU UP FOR ULTIMATE FRISBEE:

Ultimate Frisbee is a fast paced and tactical sport. High on fun and sportsmanship and a good chance you will get to fly across the field to grab the disc. Another sport that has taken the world by storm and has now quickly caught on in India as well. The game is played on the beach and on grass; it involves passing a Frisbee and scoring goals to win games. With several people picking up the sport in Goa, the state boasts of two teams that compete at the national level, with players going on to represent India as well.

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.