Home : Tournaments : Manila Spirits 2003 : Teams

Here's who you'll be facing on the grass...and on the dancefloor!

	Junk (Hong Kong) One of the oldest teams in the region, Hong Kong usually finds itself competing in the final four of any Ultimate tournament. Its patient and precise short game undid the upstart Boracay Dragons in the final of East Asia's first annual international Beach Ultimate competition held at Boracay Island in March 2003. Notorious for its tepid starts, HK picks up steam with each game. Junk shared third place with Shanghai at September's Singapore Flying Mooncake tournament, the largest multi-country disc competition in Asia. Hong Kong has to be considered a favorite to win its second consecutive international Ultimate competition in the Philippines. On the partying side, HK easily beat Korea for the Party Award in Shanghai (Sing wimped out at 10pm - too scared to lose sleep for the play-offs the next day). They lost the party award in Singapore, though, on a technicality due to a contested call by Korea with their reportedly "tacky" airport security guard outfits. With Noemie back, they believe they are the favorites to win this month, squashing home favorites Manila Vice in the process. For more team info, visit www.hkupa.com.
	Freakshow (Singapore) Singapore is the epicenter of Ultimate in Southeast Asia.  The city-state features the largest number of active players and the reining champions of disc in this region, Freakshow. While only a handful of Freakshow players have joined this traveling squad, the talent pool at the tip of the Malay Peninsula is so deep that Singapore is in the running to win yet another Southeast Asian competition. Among the players to watch is Nami Akimoto, considered by many to be the best female Ultimate player in the region. For  more about the Freaks, visit www.singaporeultimate.com.
	Shanghai (Shanghai, PRC) Perennially on the edge of the leaders group, Shanghai looks to break through at this tournament. With Freakshow and Junk below full strength, this complete Shanghai squad can smell victory in the air and plans to seize the opportunity. Reinforced by a pair of experienced hands from their fellow Chinese club in Beijing, Shanghai is itching to get on the field and prove what it can do. Led by one of the key figures on the regional Ultimate circuit, Iain McDaniels. For more info, visit http://www.shanghai-ultimate.com/
	Khao Chao Club- (Bangkok/Philippines) Khao Chao Club merges Thailand's Soi Dawgz and Makati's own Breakfast Club, winner of the 2003 Monsoon Madness league. The Soi Dawgz (www.soidawgz.com) were darkhorse victors at the 2002 edition of the Hong Kong International Ultimate Tournament, which is replaced this year by Manila Spirits. Though missing several players key to recent achievements, this mixed squad could nonetheless spell trouble for the competition if it comes together quickly. Joined by one of the fathers of  Philippine Ultimate, the now Bangkok-based Dominic Diongson, Khao Chao Club promises to continue a tradition of fun-before-all embraced by the Breakfast Club, led by disc veteran, Fritz Barth.
	Philippine Team  A select squad bringing together some of the brightest talent and tallest players from different Metro Manila teams.  The Philippine Team features players who previously excelled at the national level in sports such as basketball and tennis before taking their athleticism to the Ultimate turf.  The squad boasts a deep roster of Filipinos and expats, and claims the greatest amount of international tourney experience among the Pinoy teams. In addition to defenders who love to go horizontal, the Philippine Team can claim potent offensive weapons in the sure-handed Katie Smith, and the Askal freight train of Jason Lopez, Jay Sison, and Wendell Simbulan.
	Disc Devils (Alabang, Philippines) The naughty kids of Philippine disc, the Disc Devils are the most youthful and enthusiastic squad in the tournament. They established themselves as a force to be reckoned with by landing a spot in the finals of the local Monsoon Madness League in August 2003.  The Devils are known for speed, attitude, and the loudest sideline cheering section in the archipelago. Keep an eye out for the give-and-go between brothers Howard and Richard Hewes.
	Team Kennel In the beginning, there was the Young Askalz ("Street Dogs"). The young upstarts of the Boracay Beach Tourney, their arrival signaled a radical change in the face of Philippine Ultimate. Months later their numbers have swelled and a spanking new team is born: TEAM KENNEL, made up of the Askalz and their protιgιs the Askalitoz, and a bunch of rising new stars. With a rabid love of the game, these 100% home-grown mongrels are the team to watch. Whether it's at a green playing field or a pumpin' party, the studs and bitches of Team Kennel are ready to get down and howl with the best of them! Woof  Woof!
	Boracay Breeze (Aklan, Philippines) These soccer players from Boracay have learned their disc on the sand and are ready to try their luck on the grass of Manila's Polo Club. The Breeze may be the fittest team on the field, but their cleats are untested and it is unclear how they will transition from Beach Ultimate, which is played on a much smaller field under different conditions. Nevertheless, expect nonstop running from the Breeze, which wants to show the big city players that they have what it takes. Led by what Business World newspaper claims is half of "one of Boracay's most good-looking couples," Jude Lee.
	Bombproof Dogs (Fort Bonifacio, Makati, Philippines) This tournament is chock-full of canine influences from the Bangkok Soi Dawgz, Team Kennel, and this newly formed pack of eager competitors led jointly by Ultimate upstarts Jay and Kash. Although many of their number have played the game for just a handful of months, the Dogs have been practicing regularly and learning quickly from more experienced disc-tossers in Metro Manila.  The word on the streets is that this team is fast, real fast.
	International All-Stars USA/multinational) No Ultimate tournament is complete without a ragtag mix of mavericks and homeless players. The International All-Stars inject a further dose of excitement and unpredictability to Manila Spirits. Featuring experienced disc-tossers from across the Pacific Ocean, this squad has a distinctly American accent. Yet pick-ups like Yoonee Jeong of Korean Ultimate add a polyglot twist. Players to watch include Vermonter Matt Flynn, who in recent months has been chasing down discs in Beijing, and Trevor Brown, who throws the plastic in the desert air of Tempe, Arizona. In addition, four teachers from Manila's International School have put the books aside for the weekend to hit the Ultimate pitch with this diverse squad. If the All-Stars gel quickly, they may be one of the competition's big surprises.

Which team is favored to take home the gold? Find out here!