2018 U24 'Livestream And Chill' Guide - Day 1

By Mark Evans

So you've asked your Ultimate crush if they want to come round, watch the U24 livestream and chill, but you've got no idea what's going on. Don't sweat, IOU's got your back.

At IOU, we cannot be more excited for the World U24 Ultimate Championships to start. It’s in our very own backyard and we have heaps of friends competing in Australian and international teams. ​ In this series of articles, we’ll use our (very limited) knowledge to break down the teams playing in the scheduled live stream matches and give you our prediction as to how the games will go down. ​ If you’re using U24 Championships as an excuse for ’live stream and chill’, feel free to adopt our opinions as your own if it means you’ll impress your date.

Opening Ceremony 2.30-3pm (5.30-6pm AEST) ​ An eternally mediocre necessity, this year’s opening ceremony is likely to be no different. Actually that’s a lie, it will be hot (31 degrees celsius), so expect the flag bearers and teams to really not want to be there. ​ Ok now I feel like a jaded old man. The opening ceremony is a big deal for some, and often a very meaningful event for smaller countries like Malaysia who have never sent a team to a world event before. Clap extra hard for these legends for making it this far.

Mixed - Australia vs India 15:00 (6pm AEST) ​ Hot take: The occasion and the crowd will make this a hotly contested game, initially with lots of crazy bids and questionable throwing decisions from both sides. Second half sees Australia settle and pull away with the game 15-9. ​ Team India ​ The game of Ultimate is relatively new to India, but jeez am I excited about watching them play. The first time we’d really seen them was when top Australian coach, Dan Rule, went over to India to coach the U24 team ahead of the 2015 Championships. In London they performed far above expectations, quickly winning the hearts of Ultimate fans around the world with their incredible athleticism, raw style, and charming spirit. Here they beat the more established programs of Ireland, Phillipines and Colombia and won spirit! We expect more of the same in 2018 for India, punishing any team that underestimates them. ​ Game style: ​ Traditionally, India move more through their male players, who can athletically dominate most match-ups. Shutting down these key ‘every second pass' players and winning the high-stall Hail Mary’s, will be crucial to success for the Bluebottles. ​ Team India players to watch: ​ Sivaraman Venkatesan #99: I watching this guy play at the most recent WCBU, and he was nigh unstoppable on sand, it’ll be interesting to see whether than translates to grass. Fast, crazy athletic, this guy is a big game player.

Krishna Damor: He played in the India u20s last year and will be looking to take that experience to the big stage. Also very fast with a big leap, Damor will be a key goal scorer for India.

Bhavya Trivedi: has great disc skills and will be a key centrepiece for team India’s offense. Look for her throwing long to India’s slew of athletic cutters.

Meena Kallappa: A strong cutter, Meena will be the one quietly scoring goals for India, while the other team worries about the afore-mentioned boys.