World's largest Quidditich match takes place at University of Calgary

Harry Potter would be proud.

On Monday, local “marathon man” Martin Parnell and his supporters at the University of Calgary held a record-breaking Quidditch match, with 97 players taking to the field over the course of the 3-and-a-half-hour game.

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“We were a little low on players so we went into the Olympic Oval and rounded up some speed skaters,” Parnell told the Calgary Sun.

Dressed in capes and yielding brooms, the Quidditch players did their best to recreate the game as described in the Harry Potter books — minus the all-important flying part. (The players were Muggles, after all.)

According to the university’s Quidditch club, the sport is “based on the sport from the Harry Potter books (but brought down to earth for us non-magical folk). Quidditch is a handball-dodgeball-tag hybrid, played on broomsticks, that is easy to learn and a lot of fun for beginners and experienced players alike.”

Parnell is hoping to set 10 participant world records across Canada over 26 days to raise $400,000 for the charity Right to Play, a group that gives underprivileged kids the opportunity to participate in sports.

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Parnell, a Guinness World Record holder and long-time athletic ambassador for the charity, was introduced to Right to Play during a trip through Africa.

“I saw the power of playing sports — it’s a phenomenal way of changing the lives of kids,” Parnell, 58, told the Calgary Sun. “It teaches leadership, team building and conflict resolution.”

Last Friday in Squamish, B.C., Parnell and his “Right to Play warriors” broke a volleyball record, with 310 players on the court.

“Two down, eight to go, and now it’s up to Edmonton for tunnel ball, which should be a fun one,” he said.

Parnell also hopes to break records in dodge ball, love clap, capture the flag, ultimate frisbee and hockey before his quest concludes on October 14.

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