Bubble futsal
Players – each donning a giant inflatable plastic bubble – chase a ball around a futsal court. It’s as absurd as it sounds.
The Internet and its paradoxical effects on social lives. That’s a thesis topic right there – the more connected we become, the lonelier we are. But the 31-year-old co-founder of Sports Bandits, Rezhan Majid (together with friends Andri Khusahry and Ikram Omar), doesn’t seem to think that. In fact, the Internet has helped numerous young adults connect, play recreational games and meet people through his website – almost like a sports version of Tinder without any of the weird motivations of a stranger. Stop waiting for that kawan who flakes out on you at every basketball game, or just stop waiting for anyone, full stop. Sign up for a game, pick a venue and start playing.
Here’s how Sports Bandits works: Purchase passes online, which will entitle you to a certain number of games you can play within a period of time across different venues in the Klang Valley including Bandar Utama, Mont Kiara and PJ. Members, or ‘Banditos’ as the co-founders like to call them, can play a range of games with the rest of the community such as basketball, badminton, dodgeball, Frisbee and even bubble futsal.
The co-ed sports community has garnered close to 1,000 members since its inception in July last year, most of whom are working professionals who have little time to get active. ‘We try to create a safe environment for our members. When you see a girl showing up on her own, you know she feels safe to participate in the games,’ says Rezhan. ‘Plus, we organise our games at venues the public wouldn’t be able to access otherwise like the Garden International School, which has good facilities. So that’s quite exclusive.’
Of course, there’s also the frustrating dilemma of playing with people of different levels of competency. A basketball match between a skilled junkie and a rookie would run the risk of ruining the gaming experience. ‘You’d be surprised that most people who join the games aren’t in for the competition. The better ones help coach the uninitiated. It’s about teamwork and sportsmanship,’ explains Rezhan. But as the community grows, the folks behind Sports Bandits are looking to set up ‘specialised groups’ in the future where players get to compete against other comparable opponents.
If you’re looking for a kindred soul whose greatest passion in life is to play Quidditch (which Sports Bandits co-organises with the Damansara Dementors), the Harry Potter of your dreams may very well be among the community members. Rezhan laughs, ‘Yeah, we’ve seen a couple of people starting a relationship. It’s a great platform for you to meet people who share your interest.’ It’s probably a good thing: People are reverting to retrograde ideas of dating – through social activities and encounters – instead of undergoing rounds of hook-ups through the apathetic texting and swiping.
For Sports Bandits, the only way forward is expansion, and the co-founders are planning to extend its service to different states or countries such as Singapore, Bangkok and the Philippines soon. They may even consider working with charitable organisations where the sports events not only promote camaraderie but also give back to the society – just like ZogSports, a fast-growing recreational sports league in the US that adopts a charity and donates to it.
Rezhan sums up this burgeoning, sporting culture in KL quite nicely: ‘It’s all about bringing the people together.’
