Terry — A fine gentleman

Deputy Sports Editor

RENOWNED American author and journalist Ernest Hemingway once said: “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man from another.”

And, based on the outpouring of grief that has come from the basketball fraternity since his death, the late Terrence Kagande must have lived some life.

The former basketball coach, referee and administrator made regional news when he, together with his family, perished in a suspected gas explosion in South Africa on July 1.

According to reports from South Africa, which have been corroborated by the family, Kagande, his wife Cindy (42) and two kids, Jade (16) and Isiah (13), succumbed to burns and fumes when a gas heater exploded.

The late Kagande has been described as a gentleman.

He is a former rugby and basketball coach who is also famed for his time as gaffer at St George’s and St John’s Colleges on the school circuit.

At club level, the former administrator played a little basketball at Arcadia Bucs before he later coached the same club and South Central.

His biggest contribution to the sport came as a manager at Varsity Leopards and as a referee.

Those who spoke to The Sunday Mail Sport described him as a stand-up man who was fair and larger than life off the court.

Among them are his nephew and former Zimbabwe Sables player Gary Kagande, Darlington Masenda and Spencer Nyamadzawo.

“When I first heard the news, I thought maybe it wasn’t true.

“I then saw the sad news on a number of social media platforms and I am yet to come to terms with it,” said Nyamadzawo, who first met Kagande during his formative years at Arcadia Bucs.

“Terry played for Cubs, a developmental team for Arcadia Bucs.

“It was the B team for Arcadia Bucs and I was playing for Redemption Basketball Club.

“We were in the same league.

“He also did the administration for Bucs, keeping statistics for the A team, Arcadia Bucs.

“That’s when he also took up refereeing so he would double up as a player and referee.”

He spoke highly of Kagande’s skills as a referee, sharing his favourite memory of the man, which he claims best described his level-headedness.

“The dates are still a bit sketchy, but my favourite memory of him came during his days as a referee.

“I officiated a match between my club Trackers and Arcadia Bucs.

“This was one of the top matches of the nineties and early 2000s, as it was a derby of sorts

“There was a lot of pressure from the fans, which included family members and players from Arcadia, Braeside, Sunningdale, St Martin’s and Hillside areas.

“He received a lot of flak from both sets of fans and I remember him smiling and laughing throughout,” he said.

Former Varsity Leopards coach Masenda, another of Kagande’s contemporaries, believes he was one of the finest team managers he ever came across.

“I called him Terry AT (Always There) as team manager.

“He never played basketball during the time I knew him but he was a great manager for the Varsity Leopards and similarly for the Gentleman’s Association.

“Terry was selfless and committed.

“He had considerable influence on upcoming young people and was a gentleman to all the ladies,” Masenda said.

At the time of his passing, Kagande was thinking of opening a restaurant in South Africa.

He was doing his research and had visited a couple of sites in Bloemfontein.

All this happened in the company of a loyal friend and cousin, Gary Kagande.

“The family is devastated and in shock over Terry’s death.

“We still haven’t come to terms with it all and being so far away from him hasn’t made things any easier.

“I spoke to him as recent as when the Cambridge results came out for my
kid.

“He was already telling me to start preparing for the next stage.

“That was the kind of person he was; he believed in people chasing their dreams.

“In that regard, he led by example and remember driving around in South Africa for a place to open his restaurant.

“That had always been a dream of his,” Gary said.