Former KONI executive Soeweno dies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former executive chairman of the National Sports
\nCouncil, Lt. Gen. (ret) Soeweno, died on Thursday morning at the
\nMedistra Hospital in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Well-known for his low profile despite his experiences in
\nnumerous combat fields, former chief of the Army Reserve
\nStrategic Command Soeweno had battled against a stroke in the
\npast one and a half months at the hospital. Doctors diagnosed the
\nillness three years ago.<\/p>\n
He was 70 and is survived by his wife, former minister of
\nsocial services Endang Kusuma Inten Soeweno, and three children.<\/p>\n
Shortly after retiring from military service, Soeweno was
\ngiven the sports council's major job by Surono, who chaired KONI
\nfrom 1986 to 1994. Soeweno was the last person to hold the post
\nbefore incumbent KONI chief Wismoyo Arismunandar scrapped it.<\/p>\n
The chain-smoking Soeweno led the national team to the 1989,
\n1991 and 1993 Southeast Asian Games which Indonesia won.<\/p>\n
Born in Pacitan, East Java, the smiling general showed much
\ntaste for painting, ethnic wooden statues and traditional
\nJavanese music gamelan.<\/p>\n
He started his career in sports as the executive chairman of
\nthe Indonesian Taekwondo Association in 1986.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general of the association, Achmad Zarkasih,
\nexpressed grief over Soeweno's death.<\/p>\n
\"He was our model. Every athlete competing in international
\nevents used to ask for his blessing,\" he recalled.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo called a brief silence to pay tribute to Soeweno on
\nhis visit to the training center of the national taekwondo team
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
The body of Soeweno is at his residence at Jl. Patra IX Blok
\nM4 No. 9, South Jakarta. He will be buried in a military funeral
\nat the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Friday. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-koni-executive-soeweno-dies-1447893297",
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