SAZI Msane, the owner of the DUEP Academy, joked that revealing what he spent to start the basketball outfit would probably end his marriage. Jokes aside, Msane says his philanthropic endeavour (DUEP) aims to change young people’s lives, especially in his community of Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.
In an interview with The Big Tip Off, Msane, a qualified project manager, discusses DUEP’s journey, its impact on KZN and its participation in the national club championships in August.
Asked what the name DUEP meant, Msane explained, that there was no real meaning to it, and he came up with the name to get kids “hooked” on basketball, which has seemingly worked.
“The name (DUEP) does not have a specific meaning – it was something to get people hooked,” said Msane, a former amateur basketball player. “I saw in my district there was a gap in basketball, so I started a team. Once the team began running, I realised the needs were more. Then it became an academy.
“We develop the basketball skills of players who are interested in the game and those that have the potential to go further. We have been doing that for two years.”
Apart from growing his team’s structures, Msane says that beyond basketball, they also focus on the educational well-being of players, which has led to others successfully obtaining scholarships.
“We have four teams, from seniors to under-12 – our players have participated in competitions at all levels (district, provincial and national) – it is one of our biggest milestones,” said Msane. “Our program also focuses on education… We want to ensure our players also do well in school, and we work with them to access universities or get scholarships. Recently, we gave two players scholarships to the University of Cape Town Online High School.
“One of our founding principles is discipline… When a kid has discipline, they can adjust to life and grow. So, we have been able to change lives and save them too!”
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If what Msane says is anything to go by, starting a passion project like DUEP was not cheap. So far, the only profit he has gained is changing the lives of the kids playing in his academy.
“If I told how much I spent opening this academy, my wife would divorce me,” joked Msane. “It takes a lot of time and money (to run DUEP). I have my profession, and every time I focus on basketball, it takes me away from the things that give me an income.
“As our logo says, “It’s worth it”… But I won’t disclose how much I have spent because my wife will divorce me.”
Msane took another step in growing the profile of his academy. Last August, he brought his senior men’s and women’s teams to Gauteng for the National Club Championships. Msane says the club championships – not on the itinerary of tournaments for the academy – were an eye-opener.
“The exposure was good for us. We did not plan to come to the (national club) championships. Fortunately, we made it. We gathered a lot of experience. Our players got to play against professional players and learnt from that. It is a point of growth for everyone,” said Msane.
He also harbours big dreams for DUEP and says the academy has already impacted the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
“We have run a lot of programs in our province. So, it’s hard to ignore us because of the work we have done. Some of our coaches and managers have been appointed to roles in provincial events. I have managed some of KZN’s best under-18 teams at national tournaments,” said Msane. “We have held coaches and referees courses, with the permission of local federations, since they provide the blueprint of what has to happen.”
Finally, he spoke about his vision for DUEP. “We want to be part of a developmental provincial league. There are a lot of tournaments, but those are short-term,” said Msane. “We also want a sports school with basketball as one of the codes. We are looking for space to build an academy because other facilities cost us a lot. This is where we see ourselves in the future.”
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