Donald Pandiangan: Google Doodle celebrates Indonesian archer’s 77th birthday

Google Doodle celebrates the 77th birthday of Indonesian archer Donald Pandiangan, the coach of the archery team that won the country its first Olympic medal in 1988, on December 12, 2022.

Who was Donald Pandiangan?

Donald Pandiangan was born in Sidikalang, North Sumatra, on December 12, 1945. At the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), an Indonesian archer won more than 20 gold medals for his mastery of the bow and arrow, earning him the nickname “Robin Hood of Indonesia.”

Donald Pandiangan wanted to be an engineer, but he couldn’t finish college because of financial problems. Pandiangan ended up working for a transport company, where he got an archery set as a gift that would change his life.

Donald Pandiangan began training at the late age of 25, but he quickly developed a passion for the sport and worked tirelessly. After three years, he won his first gold medal at the 1973 Pekan Olahraga Nasional VIII (National Sports Week of Indonesia) in Surabaya. He set a new world record four years later when he competed in the 70-meter Recurve event at the 1977 PON IX in Jakarta.

At the SEA Games, Donald Pandiangan won gold numerous times between 1977 and 1987. At the peak of his career in 1980, Pandiangan was close to competing in the Summer Olympics in Moscow. However, Indonesia’s boycott of the event prevented him from attending.

Donald Pandiangan started coaching the women’s archery team for the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988 after a few years. The silver medal was won by Lilies Handayani, Nurfitriyana Saiman, and Kusuma Wardhani—the first ever in Indonesian history.

In honor of Donald Pandiangan’s 77th birthday, Google featured a Google Doodle on its homepage in Indonesia on December 12, 2022.