Promoter Boy Bolang passes away at 56

Promoter Boy Bolang passes away at 56

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The local sports world is mourning the loss of professional
boxing promoter Boy Bolang after he passed away on Friday at 5:33
p.m. from complications resulting from multiple strokes.

The 56-year old promoter, and national gold medalist, was
hospitalized at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta after falling
into a coma last week.

It was Boy's third stroke, who became famous for putting
Indonesian boxer Ellyas Pical on the world stage, winning the IBF
flyweight world championships title in 1985.

Boy was born on Jan. 12, 1948 in a family of boxers. He
started boxing seriously at 14 with his father, Yohanes Bolang,
and older brother Johny Bolang as his coaches.

In 1973, he won a gold medal in the eighth National Games and
held the national championships middleweight title for three
year.

Boy started his career as a professional promoter in 1977.

Syamsul Anwar, a close friend and fellow boxer, said that Boy
could never run from his passion for boxing.

"He has this special gift to influence others to fall in love
with boxing in a matter of hours," he told The Jakarta Post.

Syamsul added that no other promoter in the country had
equaled Boy's accomplishments.