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Kempo coach Barnabas Djurumana dies on flight back from US
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Airport ground crew inspects the cargo compartment of a Garuda Indonesia Boeing B777-300ER at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Oct. 12, 2016. (The Jakarta Post/Bagus BT. Saragih)
Noted kempo martial arts coach Barnabas Djurumana died on a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong on Friday.
He was the leader of the Kempo East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) contingent that represented Indonesia in the Shorinji Kempo World Taikai 2017 championship in San Mateo, California, the US. The team was scheduled to make a stopover in Hong Kong before transferring to another flight to Indonesia.
“The Indonesian team participated in the championship from July 27 to Aug. 3,” NTT National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Andreas Koreh told reporters on Saturday.
Andreas said Barnabas had a history of heart and lung disease.
“We had not recommended that he coach given his health condition. However, he was determined to see the children compete in the US,” he said.
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His presence motivated the children, Andreas said.
“While in America, he was always with the athletes both during practice and the competition even though he was in pain,” he said.
NTT Indonesia Shorinji Kempo Federation (Perkemi) chairman Esthon Foenay said 16 countries had been represented in the championship, including Indonesia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain and the US.
“Indonesia, which was represented by Kempo athletes from NTT, won three gold medals, one silver and two bronze, putting Indonesia in second place in the medal tally after Japan,” Esthon told The Jakarta Post. (ecn/bbs)
