Talent

It sou nds like an incredible, post-apartheid fairytale: a young black South African from a disadvantaged background is spotted as a talented horseman and, thanks to a whole series of ‘good fairies’ plus his own dedication, is given the chance to make it as a high-goal polo player in perhaps the most elitist arena in sport. As a work of fiction, most would reject it as too far-fetched. However Sbu Duma is busy trying to live that dream, for real, urged on by a string of benefactors and mentors, passionately committed to seeing him succeed, not just for himself but also to send out a message to the underprivileged and aspirational of every race: that South Africa is changing and if you work hard enough, anything is possible.

But how much of this is clever marketing and a triumph of hope over the hard reality of international polo? Certainly Sbu, (short for Sbusisu) a likeable 23-year-old 2-goaler with a fearless, hard-riding style, has so far enjoyed an extraordinary career trajectory of rags to, if not riches, at least astounding opportunity. The son of a humble stable hand on the Maritzdaal Farm at Dargle, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Sbu’s natural riding ability was spotted when he was nine by the farm owner, the late Dave Kimber, himself a keen polo player. The young Sbu received coaching, support and encouragement at the nearby Lions River Club, followed by a grant from the South African Polo Association in 1999. Two years later, he began representing

ANDY SMITH Sbu Duma (left) with his father, Thembinkosi, at home in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

the South African schools international polo side with notable success and during a tour to Britain was even presented with a trophy by princes William and Harry, one of the greatest moments of his life.

Via his South African mentors, successful goldsmith Dieter Rowe-Setz and his wife Josie, Sbu who initially received only a basic education at the local farm school, took an equine management qualification. This was designed to give him a fall-back position in case of injury or if he simply fails to make the grade in this competitive world where money and ponypower are just as important as talent.

Further opportunity knocked last year when he was accepted onto polo enthusiast Uli Schmid-Maybach’s Maybach Foundation’s mentoring programme designed to give talented youngsters facing adversity the funding and support to fulfil their potential and act as a role model to others. The programme which runs at least until next spring is providing around $100,000 a year for Sbu’s training, travel and expenses, plus a small stipend as he plays and trains around the world with the Argentine professional Federico Bachmann, his current polo mentor.

The results so far have been encouraging: last year he won the Most Valuable Player award when his team won the All Africa Cup at Inanda in Johannesburg; an emotional and historic moment as it was the first victory for an all-black South African team.

‘All the staff and the grooms were standing around the field and everyone was

crying with joy,’ recalled Josie Rowe-Setz, one of Sbu’s most passionate supporters. ‘It was an extraordinary achievement and meant so much on so many levels.’ In March he spent several weeks at Adolfo Cambiaso’s La Dolfina ranch where he and Federico played in the side that won the prestigious Safiro Cup, an eye-opener for the inexperienced youngster whose dream is to represent South Africa at senior level.

‘I am grateful for all the chances I’ve had’ he says, a huge smile lighting up his mobile face. ‘In Argentina I saw the game played at a higher level than in South Africa. I’ve learnt about tactics, not just hitting the ball but how to win matches and be a good member of your team. Federico is a great coach. He has taught me: “Play the man first and then the ball. You play for position and then the ball will come to you” and it is like seeing the game in a new light.

It has been great, playing alongside him. The Safiro Cup was a huge moment. In the final I broke my goal record. I scored 9 and we won 13-4.’

That winning streak has continued. Early in May, playing for Federico’s Easy Polo Team in St Tropez, he won the Hippocampus Cup for 12 goal sides, beating Dusseldorf 6 - 4.5 in the final and finished as top scorer. But just how good is he? Federico Bachmann is in no doubt about his potential:

‘Sbu has a lot of raw talent and a very good attitude,’ he enthuses. ‘He’s got guts, character and he steps back for no man. Yes it’s hard for him. He has come from his home to Argentina and Europe. It is another world. He is a shy guy and he must have been homesick, coping with a new language and meeting many new people but he has a big smile, a marvellous spirit and everybody likes him.’

Walter Grindrod, Chairman of the South African Polo Association also acknowledges Sbu’s talent and, crucially, his symbolic importance as potentially South Africa’s first black high goal player.

‘Sbu has been very successful at schoolboy level and he is working very hard to reach the next stage of his game. Given the legacy of apartheid, it would mean an enormous amount to our association, to our longstanding sponsors BMW, and to the game as a whole to have such an inspiring role model: a boy from a deprived background, making a breakthrough in a seemingly privileged sport like polo. It would show the sort of strides we’re making in trying to widen access to it to include people from all races and backgrounds.’

However Peter McCormack, polo director of Ham Polo Club and world number 1 Adolfo Cambiaso’s spokesman sounds a note of caution

‘I watched him play in Argentina,

1 Training at home in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2 Sbu shows off his raw talent and positive attitude on the field

looking good as he scored 9 goals in the Safiro Cup final and there’s obviously a lot of ability there but he’s still a raw diamond that needs polishing before he becomes a real player on the world stage.’

Another Argentina-based player who asked not to be named was less bullish.

‘We have a lot of grooms that look amazing when they’re stick-and-balling, but put them in chukkas and they look lost. Sbu has natural ball skills and he’s hugely determined but he’s not a totally instinctive horseman. For a lot of his life, if you were talking in Formula 1 terms, you’d say he’s been the mechanic around horses rather than a driver, so now he’s got the opportunity to “drive the car”, he faces a very steep learning curve to try to match the standards of all those hundreds of talented South Americans who’ve been playing good quality polo almost as soon as they could walk.’

Federico Bachmann, however, is convinced that with his impressive humility and balanced attitude, Sbu can indeed negotiate that learning curve:

‘He is working, working with the ponies all the time and he is a fast learner because

this is what he wants to do.

‘At the moment he is mainly an attacker; that is where the less experienced players tend to be put and he scores a lot of goals. But he will also be learning the more complex skills of a defender. This summer he will probably work with the Italian patron Alfio Marchini’s Loro Piana team in England, learning his craft, riding different ponies and picking up tips on match tactics as well as just riding and hitting. Then hopefully next season he will get some games for them. I want him to go on to someone with the funds and the experience to take him further than I can.’

The SAPA’s Walter Grindrod, too, acknowledged the financial obstacles involved in taking Sbu to the next level but claimed these were not insurmountable.

‘Yes, it’s an expensive sport’ he admitted but once a professional team picks a talented player, they provide good-quality ponies and pay their expenses. It would be a proud day for us if Sbu reached the standard to represent South Africa. We’d only pick him on merit, not tokenism: he wouldn’t want that and neither would we. However we run teams for younger, up-and-coming international players and if Sbu becomes a competitive 4-goaler, we’d be delighted to select him for these events and of course we’re keeping a close eye on his progress.’

Peter McCormack made an impassioned plea for the youngster’s talents to be given full rein:

‘It’s really important now, that Sbu’s developed and mentored in the right direction. To a certain extent, his destiny is in his hands, but also in the hands of others. It’s not fair to put him on a gravy train and then stop that train before he has the chance to fulfil his potential. If they want the black community to start playing polo, and everyone, particularly Adolfo [Cambiaso] is thrilled to see such an inspirational guy come and play from South Africa, they’ve got to let him develop and that means financial backing. He’s made a great start. Now he needs support and opportunity from people with the means.’

As a potent symbol of the changing times in South Africa, Sbu is beginning to garner ever-higher levels of media coverage. A film crew is currently charting his progress for a documentary to be screened next year and whether or not he ultimately makes the grade as a high goaler, the sheer volume of interest this moving story is generating should ensure priceless publicity for any well-heeled patron willing to put his hand in his pocket to fund the next stage of his development. Given Sbu’s progress so far and, more cynically, his growing value as a hot media property, it could be money well spent. How this simple, unsophisticated young man would cope with the daunting prospect of stardom, however, remains to be seen.