South Sudan ready for World Cup dream

Thursday, August 17, 2023

"For us there are clear goals. We want to finish as the top African country."

It’s not often you get a chance to make history, but that’s exactly what NBL players Sunday Dech and Junior Madut are doing right now. In the midst of preparations for South Sudan’s first ever appearance at a FIBA World Cup, both are part of an 18-man squad that is in Melbourne to play warm-up games against Brazil, Venezuela and Australia.

For Dech, who plays for the Adelaide 36ers, and Madut who will join the Tasmania JackJumpers for NBL24 after a year with South East Melbourne, it’s a chance to represent their native South Sudan and prepare for their tournament opener, against Puerto Rico on 26 August.

Dech, who was part of the team that defeated Senegal in the February qualifying window to secure that World Cup berth, knows what an incredible journey they are on and recalls exactly what it felt like in the moment when the squad knew they had punched their ticket to Manila.

“It was a surreal feeling,” Dech told NBL media ahead of South Sudan's first game against Venezuela on Wednesday night.

“You’re a part of this journey and you don’t know quite where it’s going. We finally got to a stage in Egypt where we were like: ‘We win one out of three, we’re in.’ When we qualified, it was kind of surreal to know that we did and we’re going to be playing on the world stage.

“Now we’re here at the pre-games, playing in our home country, so it’s an unreal journey. It’s been one over a couple of years and there are guys before us that laid the foundation for us to join at a later stage, but it was unreal and it was great to celebrate with our countrymen and women as well.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">?? Introducing for the first time EVER, the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAWC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIBAWC</a> Bright Stars! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSouthSudan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSouthSudan</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ulb9atNvbK">pic.twitter.com/Ulb9atNvbK</a></p>— South Sudan Basketball (@SSBFed) <a href="https://twitter.com/SSBFed/status/1689523952186732545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Bright Stars, as the team is known, won their final two qualifying games as well, to go 11-1 across the African qualifiers and finish atop their group.

On Monday night, they lost their first game of this week’s warm-ups against Brazil, despite leading for much of it.

Dech and Madut, along with fellow NBL players Mangok Mathiang and Deng Acuoth, all got to represent their native country on home soil in Australia, as they will do three times this week. Both Dech and Madut grew up in Australia, despite being born abroad, so this is a special opportunity for them.

“To describe it, I would say it’s a full circle moment,” Madut explained.

“It feels like just being away from your country for a very long time and losing that connection, I feel like us playing for South Sudan brings us closer to our people and our country. Also being able to do it where we grew up and where we play basketball, it feels full circle, it feels special, it feels like this is the way it’s supposed to be.”

South Sudan is ranked 62nd currently by FIBA, so as a first-time qualifier and a young nation with an even younger basketball program, these warm-up games are crucial for them to be as well-prepared and competitive as possible, when they get to Manila.

Placed in Group B, they’ll also play China and then Serbia after their opening game against Puerto Rico. If they’re going to make any noise in the competition, they need to get the most out of this week.

“For us, it’s just getting more comfortable with each other,” said Dech.

“Each tournament we’ve gone to, we’ve added new pieces, new dynamics and we’ve got some highly talented guys coming in as well. So, it’s getting chemistry within the group and getting that synergy going heading into the real thing in a few weeks.

“We had a good game against Brazil the other night, found out a lot about ourselves and we will again tonight and tomorrow night. We do want to go out there and win the game, cos that’s the aim, but at the same time there’s a bigger picture to it, to prepare us and keep us at our peak in a couple of weeks.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">?? FOR THE HISTORY ??<br><br>South Sudan are going to the FIBA Basketball World Cup!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSouthSudan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSouthSudan</a> <a href="https://t.co/D4MbrauI08">pic.twitter.com/D4MbrauI08</a></p>— FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1629162882117124098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While South Sudan currently has a squad of 18 players, three will be cut this week. 15 will then travel to China for two practice games as part of a sponsored tour, before the final 12 go to Manila.

Dech and Madut are obviously hoping to be part of that final 12-man roster for Head Coach Royal Ivey and Assistant Coach and SSBF President, Luol Deng. But both players are also using this experience, playing a different style, with different roles than they’d have with their NBL teams, to develop their games ahead of NBL24.

“Personally for me, I’m just approaching in a way where I want to get better every day,” Madut explained.

“Grow every day, learn every day and keep going like that, game by game and day by day. Just make sure that I’m chipping away personally and that we’re getting better as a team.”

For Dech, he’s trying to leverage playing against different coverages, being utilised in a different system and is definitely benefiting from this experience.

“Yeah, for sure. We’re playing against world class talent,” Dech noted.

“That’s the first thing we addressed and Luol said it perfectly the other day at practice. He said ‘You’re here to make a team, but at the same time you’re here to get better. And every day you bring in and you put your best foot forward, you’re developing as a basketball player which is then going to help you later on as well.’

“So, for us it’s understanding different reads, different nuances which will help us in the NBL. And to play a team like Brazil, which is a top 15 team in the world, Venezuela tonight and then Australia tomorrow, you just get that confidence. Because you’re like: ‘I can hang with these guys, I can bring some of the stuff I’ve learned in this setting back into the NBL and apply that craft into my own team here.’”

The Bright Stars went on to defeat Venezuela 80-61, with both Madut and Dech hitting threes late to extend their lead and seal the win, but it’s the game on Thursday against the Boomers that is on everyone’s radar. Given the big South Sudanese population in Melbourne, it was the hottest ticket when the Boomers versus the World series went on sale a few months ago.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSouthSudan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSouthSudan</a> <a href="https://t.co/AhtgQ8QH5U">pic.twitter.com/AhtgQ8QH5U</a></p>— South Sudan Basketball (@SSBFed) <a href="https://twitter.com/SSBFed/status/1691778020397416929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For Dech and Madut, it’s a chance to go up against guys that they know, that they’ve grown up with, some that they’ve played with and against. And it’s that Australian connection which is special, so it’s definitely a game they’ve been looking forward to.

“I think we’re very excited,” Madut admitted.

“They’ve got a great team, pretty much a full NBA roster and that’s exciting for every individual on our team to get to compete against those people and just grow from that experience as well. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

It’s also a chance to test themselves against one of the best teams in the world and Dech is looking forward to that challenge, as much as he is excited to play in front of familiar faces.

“I think for us, it’s an opportunity to play in front of our friends and families, who haven’t really watched us play as a national team; they’ve only seen us on TV,” he explained.

“So, to do it in front of them on home soil is something special. That’s something we’re not going to take for granted cos you don’t know how many opportunities like this you will get.

“And then secondly, you’re going out there and competing against some of my friends, some guys you’ve played alongside and against these last couple of years. To know that they’re always a medal contending country is something where we’re going to see where we fit against them and where our program can go in the next couple of years as well.”

For South Sudan, this week is another step in a history-making journey. They’ve already achieved more than they probably hoped for when FIBA World Cup qualifying started in late 2021.

But they’re not stopping there, as there is more that they’re aiming for when they get to Manila.

“For us there are clear goals,” Dech said.

“We want to finish as the top African country because that solidifies your spot for Paris 2024. That’s our goal.

“But obviously our approach is still the same. It’s day by day, it’s game by game as we’ve done up to this point.”

Their next game is against the Boomers at 7:45pm AEST on Thursday.