Mission: To create accessible, inclusive and social sport experiences for our members, while innovating and adapting to the sporting community's needs.
Motto: Play sport. Be social.
Core values: make sport more social, question convention, seek ways to improve organization & efficiency, customer feedback driven, not afraid to try something new (and fail), inspire each other through supportive & respectful behavior, inclusive + social = cool!
What is DUPLAYS?
DUPLAYS is the largest provider of sport leagues & events for adults in the UAE DUPLAYS organizes social, recreational & competitive sport leagues & events for men, women & mixed play in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain & Sharjah DUPLAYS connects people from different cultures, nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds through the unifying power of sport to bring people together DUPLAYS.com is the single point of contact for all sport registration, communication, scheduling and to discover new sport opportunities in the UAE
A brief history of DUPLAYS
In the Fall of 2007, Ravi and Derv began organizing sports at the Metropolitan Hotel softball fields in Dubai. Games were scheduled on work week evenings for friends needing a healthy alternative to Dubai's traditional social scene. What started as a loose-knit Facebook group of 30 friends, has grown into the UAE's leading recreational sports portal with over 20,000 members. DUPLAYS expanded to Abu Dhabi (May 2009), Al Ain (Jan 2011), and Sharjah (Feb 2011).
During any one season, DUPLAYS organizes sports for over 3,500 active members. Men and women of all backgrounds and job titles, from secretaries to CEO's, come together through the camaraderie of sport. DUPLAYS leagues regularly have 30+ nationalities sharing the court, pitch, sand or field.
Ravi BhusariDUPLAYS Chief Jock Co-Founder & Director of Business Development Ravi gave up waiting as a single man in the 'Couples Only' line at Dubai's clubs to play sports 4 nights a week. He enjoys all sports where lack of skill can be made for by pure hustle (i.e. not golf). Ravi is half-Canadian, half-Indian and plays neither ice hockey nor cricket well.
Brian Sigafoos DUPLAYS Point Guard Partner & Director of Web Brian gave up his dream of Olympic equestrian glory at age 15 when the pony balked at his 6'10" (210cm) frame. After playing D1 college basketball and a "pro" career in Europe, Brian moved to the Middle East in 2006. Today Brian's passion is CrossFit, he also enjoys yoga, learning Arabic, and anything innovative or techy.
Katie Overy DUPLAYS #1 Fan Sales & Business Development Manager Katie joined DUPLAYS Ultimate Frisbee as a player within weeks of arriving in Dubai, and became our first ever admin in 2008. She is proudly English, proudly tall and since 2010 proudly a full time team member.
Raza AliDUPLAYS Announcer Software Engineer Born in Pakistan, Raza's quickly becoming a volleyball player and expert bowler thanks to DUPLAYS social leagues. With a little more work, Raza is looking to pass Ravi as DUPLAYS reigning push-up champion!
Mark WebbDUPLAYS Ace Account Manager Mark is our resident golf pro, taking DUPLAYS most sophisticated sports to the next level. Just don't call him preppy, he'll clobber you in darts.
Davinder "Derv" RaoDUPLAYS Water Boy Co-Founder & Director of Operations Growing up vertically challenged in Canada, Derv has always had to work just a bit harder in the pursuit of sports excellence. In spite of his "water boy" persona, Derv is actually a non-swimmer. He sinks like a rock. Due, he claims, to his massive musculature.
Nauman DUPLAYS Striker Operations Manager Nauman is DUPLAYS resident football (soccer) junkie & cricket expert. He spends his days visiting facilities, his nights breaking up football scuffles and his free time watching English Premier League matches.
Suraj Gopinathan DUPLAYS Scorekeeper Chief Accountant Suraj spent his childhood in Nigeria and teenage years in Kerala, India. Like most Indians, Suraj is a die-hard cricket fan, even though (field) hockey is the national sport, and he not-so-secretly wants to be a race car driver.
Arnel MDUPLAYS X-man Abu Dhabi Operations A teacher by profession, Arnel loves to share his knowledge of officiating and basketball with others. A die-hard LA Lakers fan, Arnel is a basketball fanatic who's grown from DUPLAYS referee to organizing every other sport from volleyball to football.
Nicola BernhoersterDUPLAYS Fittest Events & Special Projects Manager Pound for pound the fittest member of Team DUPLAYS, Nicola runs, swims, bikes, skiis and even CrossFits better than just about anyone! Catch her if you can, in between weekend open ocean swims and marathons.
Just like the UAE's population, Team DUPLAYS comes from all over the map: full-time staff, admins (green), referees (orange), interns (yellow) and former staff (grey).
