CITY GUIDE >Culture and Events
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CITY GUIDE >Culture and Events
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Ultimate word in speed and stamina
By Cheng Anqi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-31 09:07 The spirit in which the game is played pervades all levels - from national to world championships. "The spirit of the game at lower levels is of helping one another to learn the game, and be a little more accepting. At higher levels, it's more about respecting your opponent and taking responsibility to know the rules," says Wang Lei, a 20-year-old who joined the club two years ago. The top players may be very competitive, but they still manage to keep the flag of sportsmanship flying high. If someone commits a foul, he will admit it, something that is rarely found among soccer or basketball players. Opponents continuously praise each other during a game of great passes. "You are substituting all the time, otherwise you are going to die," chuckles Wang. "It's very tiring, and you need to be fit to play competitively." The play area spans 70 meters, exclusive of the goal zones at either end, in which an opposing player has to be standing in order to catch a disc to score. The players are running all the time, except for the player holding the disc, as he has to remain stationary while he throws. A game runs for 90 minutes or until the first team scores 15 points. Another unusual element is the equality of the sexes. Men and women play together on the same team, as the most important skills are good reflexes and coordination, which are common to both genders. Zhang Xiaofei, a keen female player for many years, believes that "Ultimate Frisbee is by far the most graceful of competitive sports." "There is a lot of mental activity in the game. One has to read not only what your teammates are doing and thinking but also the strength and changing directions of the wind." For more information visit www.beijingultimate.com or call Hai Min at 1391-123-9781 to register
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