Badminton coach Triadji dies from heart attack in Malang

JAKARTA (JP): National badminton coach Triadji passed away in his hometown of Malang, East Java, yesterday morning at the age of 46.

Triadji, who groomed some of the world's top shuttlers -- including Joko Suprianto, Hermawan Susanto and Budi Santoso -- suffered a heart attack after celebrating Christmas with his family.

He joined the national training center in Cipayung, East Jakarta in 1986.

"We all in the association feel his loss. He was always in a very good condition. He did not speak a lot but he always had success coaching his athletes," said Soemaryono, the Badminton Association of Indonesia's executive director.

He said that the association is going to give a posthumous award to Triadji.

"The award is to recognize his contribution and all his efforts to develop national badminton," he said.

Triadji joined the Bima Sakti club in 1967 before moving to the Shark club in 1976. His best performance was in the 1970s when he became the national champion.

Hermawan, who was almost dismissed from the center in 1989, said that his nicest memory of Triadji was when the coach encouraged him to keep up his hard work.

"If mas Tri hadn't kept me here, I'd probably have been out of Cipayung," he said.

Hermawan, who is scheduled to play in the Taipei Open early January, said that he would have to fight by himself without his coach.

Triadji's last words to Hermawan were: "You have to practice as hard as you can. I'm going to celebrate Christmas with my family in Malang and after the New Year I'll come back to Cipayung."

"I will do my best to fulfil his last words," Hermawan said.

Antara reported that Triadji, who received the Adimanggala Krida award from the government, coached at the Jember badminton center in East Java from 1984 to 1986.

"He was a successful coach but he lived a low profile," said Hadi Nasri, an official of the association.

Sports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar told The Jakarta Post that Triadji's death was a shock.

"I've heard from Dr Kuntadi that he suffered an illness in his stomach and it needed further examination," Siregar said.

"But I also heard that he was exhausted after driving from Jakarta to Malang by himself," he added.

Siregar said that Triadji did a good job as a national coach.

"Two or three weeks ago, we discussed Jeffer (Rosobin) and Salim and I told him to send more juniors to international events. He got along with shuttlers very well," he said.

"He was a happy and optimistic person. He loved to sing," he added.

Triadji, who is to be buried today in Bulu Lawang, Malang, had said that he wanted to coach badminton for Indonesia as long as the country needed him.

He is survived by his wife, Wahyu Madyaningtyas, and four children. (yan)