Former star Abdul Kadir dies

Former star Abdul Kadir dies

JAKARTA: Former Indonesian soccer star Abdul Kadir died after a running a high fever on Friday. He was 55 years old.

Kadir, popularly known as Kancil (mouse deer) for his agile and skillful play, started his soccer career in his early teenage years at his birthplace in Denpasar, Bali.

As his family moved to Surabaya in East Java in mid 1960s, he then joined leading local club Assyabab before he was recruited as a national soccer team member until he ended his career as a player in 1975.

After retiring as a player, Kadir coached the Persid soccer club of Jember in East Java until the middle of last year, when he suffered a serious kidney ailment.

He had been treated at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for several months before he was flown to Guangzhou, China last November for a kidney transplant.

After suffering high fever for several days last week, he was rushed to the Husni Thamrin Hospital in Central Jakarta on Thursday evening, but died at 3 a.m. on Friday.--Antara