International ultimate Frisbee tournament coming to Winnipeg

Winnipeg has been chosen to host the next World Flying Disc Federation World Masters Ultimate Club Championships in other words,the world's largest international ultimate Frisbee tournament.

The games will take place in thesummer of2018 and should see thousands of visitors arrive in Winnipeg to watch and compete on as many as 44 fields in the city.

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Sean Seywright, director of business and sport development at the Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports, called the decision to pick Winnipeg a "special moment" for the sport in Winnipeg.

"We're really happy and over the moon right now," Seywright said.

He expects between 48 and 70 teams to arrive in Winnipeg for the tournament, which translates to as many as 2,000 players plus coaches and fans.

"For us it's pretty significant," he said.

Seywright said he was able to sell the World Flying Disc Federation on Winnipeg's tourist attractions like Assiniboine Park Zoo and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights as a reason to hold the competition in Manitoba's capital.

"They saw our bid and what we could offer on a cultural experience to guests who are coming and it became a no-brainer," said Seywright.

The tournament could mean a boost to the Winnipeg economy.

When it washeld inLecco, Italy, in 2014 the tournament generated 3.4 million ($4.90 million Cdn) for the local economy, according to anews release sent out by the Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports.

Ultimate is a team sport where players attempt to catch a flying disc in the opposing team's end field. Games are self-refereed and rely on playerhonesty.

Building a sense of community is as much a part of ultimate as competition, saidSeywright.

"We are a self-officiated sport so we don't rely on officials to help us on the outcomes of our game it's all settled by the athletes themselves," he said.

Ultimate Frisbee was recognized as an Olympic sport in 2015, paving the way for participation in future Olympic Games.

The World Flying Disc Federation World Masters Ultimate Club Championships will be held July 28 to Aug. 4, 2018, in Winnipeg.