Indonesian 'Robin Hood' dies at 62

Niken Prathivi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 08/21/2008 10:23 AM  |  Sports

Indonesia's sports community lost a former archer and great national coach as Donald Djanatus Pandiangan passed away at 7 a.m. at Thamrin Hospital, Jakarta, on Wednesday after suffering a stroke.

His wife, Paulina Pandiangan, said Donald suffered the attack on August 17 and had been hospitalized since. Donald suffered from high blood pressure for years, she said.

"We'll conduct his funeral ceremony at Pondok Ranggon cemetery, Jakarta, at 11 a.m. on Thursday," she said.

Donald, born in Sidikalang, North Sumatra, on Dec. 12 1945, is survived by his wife and four children: Lusyana Pandiangan (17), Patar Pandiangan (16), Maria Pandiangan (15) and Aldo Pandiangan (10).

Donald was popularly known as the Indonesian Robin Hood during his heyday.

He became Asian champion in 1981 and collected six gold medals in his participation in four straight Southeast Asian Games -- in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983.

He was absent in the 1985 SEA Games, but made a winning comeback with two gold medals in 1987 in Jakarta before retiring.

As a coach, he steered Indonesian archers Lilies Handayani, Kusumawardani and Nurfitriyana Saiman to a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. It was Indonesia's first ever medal in the world's biggest sporting spectacle.

The 2007 SEA Games in Thailand, where he guided the Indonesian team to three golds, five silvers and one bronze, turned out to be his last event.

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