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AKARTA: Prominent Indonesian badminton icon Suharso Suhandinata passed away on Thursday at 2:45 p.m. at the Medistra Hospital in South Jakarta due to illness. He was 94.

Suharso’s remains will be laid to rest at the Oasis mortuary and crematorium in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday, his son, Juniarto Suhandinata, said in a statement. The cremation will take place on Sunday at 11 a.m., he added.

Suharso, his close friend Dick Sudirman — the founder of the national badminton association — and former International Badminton Federation chairman Stellan Mohlin were among those who united the International Badminton Federation and the World Badminton Federation in 1980.

The mixed team championship Sudirman Cup is named in honor of the late Sudirman. The Badminton World Federation recognized Suharso’s services by naming the World Junior Mixed Team Championships the Suhandinata Cup in 2009. — JP