Former KONI executive Soeweno dies

JAKARTA (JP): Former executive chairman of the National Sports Council, Lt. Gen. (ret) Soeweno, died on Thursday morning at the Medistra Hospital in South Jakarta.

Well-known for his low profile despite his experiences in numerous combat fields, former chief of the Army Reserve Strategic Command Soeweno had battled against a stroke in the past one and a half months at the hospital. Doctors diagnosed the illness three years ago.

He was 70 and is survived by his wife, former minister of social services Endang Kusuma Inten Soeweno, and three children.

Shortly after retiring from military service, Soeweno was given the sports council's major job by Surono, who chaired KONI from 1986 to 1994. Soeweno was the last person to hold the post before incumbent KONI chief Wismoyo Arismunandar scrapped it.

The chain-smoking Soeweno led the national team to the 1989, 1991 and 1993 Southeast Asian Games which Indonesia won.

Born in Pacitan, East Java, the smiling general showed much taste for painting, ethnic wooden statues and traditional Javanese music gamelan.

He started his career in sports as the executive chairman of the Indonesian Taekwondo Association in 1986.

Secretary-general of the association, Achmad Zarkasih, expressed grief over Soeweno's death.

"He was our model. Every athlete competing in international events used to ask for his blessing," he recalled.

Wismoyo called a brief silence to pay tribute to Soeweno on his visit to the training center of the national taekwondo team on Thursday.

The body of Soeweno is at his residence at Jl. Patra IX Blok M4 No. 9, South Jakarta. He will be buried in a military funeral at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Friday. (yan)