Former badminton star Minarni dies
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Minarni Sudaryanto, the national badminton star in the 1960s and 1970s, died of acute pneumonia at Pertamina Hospital in Jakarta at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, a report said.
Minarni, whose partnership with Retno Kustiyah, made her the first Asian woman to win the All England title in 1968, died just four days prior to her 59th birthday. She was buried at the Tanah Kusir public cemetery in South Jakarta later on Wednesday.
She was survived by husband Sudaryanto and three children: Min Susanti, and twins Arisusanto and Arisusandi.
Given her achievements on and off the court, the Indonesian badminton community has been in mourning.
"I was shocked to learn about the news. It's a huge loss for the Indonesian badminton community," Chairul Tanjung, the chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), said, as quoted by Antara.
"She made a significant contribution to Indonesian badminton," he said.
Minarni's former on-court partner and sister in law Retno Kustiyah, echoed the sentiment.
"We have lost a hard worker. She was a good friend, a good partner as well as a good sister-in-law," she said.
Ivanna Lie, the 1982 Asian Games gold medalist, expressed her shock, saying that she had met her former coach the day before she died. Minarni trained her from 1977 to 1984.
During her playing career, Minarni was national champion in 1963, 1964 and 1967.
She chalked up double victory at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, winning the singles and doubles with Retno Kustiyah. Her golden partnership continued in Bangkok four years later.
Minarni featured in the Indonesian Uber Cup team in 1960, 1963, 1966, 1969 and 1975 to make her the longest-serving player in the team.
In 1975, she was the playing captain in the national team and presented Indonesia with its first Uber Cup trophy before she retired in the same year. Indonesia beat Japan 5-2 in the final.
She was a member of the national badminton coaching board from 1985 to 1989.
Minarni was chairing Gematama Kreasindo, an event organizer specializing in organizing badminton competitions among youths and school children.