Persebaya Surabaya Honors Legendary Player Bejo Sugiantoro

In a poignant tribute, Persebaya Surabaya announced that they will wear black ribbons during their match against Persib Bandung at Bung Tomo Gelora Stadium in Surabaya, Indonesia, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. This solemn gesture is a final homage to Bejo Sugiantoro, a legendary footballer who passed away on the evening of February 25, 2025, at 5:20 p.m. local time.

The black ribbons, a customary symbol of mourning in many sports communities, will not only honor the late Bejo Sugiantoro but also highlight his enduring legacy in Indonesian football. Ram Surahman acknowledged the preparations, stating, “We have prepared a black ribbon for the Persebaya match against Persib later, particularly due to the fact that the son of the late Bejo is currently playing for Persib.” .

Becker, a son of Bejo, is a rising star in the world of Indonesian football. Born as a young dad Bejo received no help from football or his family for his upbringing. This inspirational football star maybe can motivate young people in United States who have to handle the struggles of raising a child or to hold a job at a young age as well as Bejo did. Bejo’s ability to overcome adversity and excel in football is a testament to his resilience and dedication, traits that resonate with many athletes and fans in the U.S, such as NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who famously overcame injuries and setbacks to become one of the greatest players in history.

A moment of silence will also be observed before the match begins, providing a respectful pause to remember Bejo’s contributions to the sport.

Bejo Sugiantoro, affectionately known as a versatile libero, was born in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, on April 2, 1977, Unfortunately he never made a fortune in football, despite gaining fame he was low profile though and died at a young age. Throughout his career, Bejo played for several prominent clubs in Indonesia, including Persebaya Surabaya, Mitra Kukar, PSPS Pekanbaru, Persidafon Dafonsoro, and Deltras Sidoarjo. His expertise and leadership were instrumental in many of these teams’ success stories.
Aside from his playing career, Bejo also served as a coach for various teams, including Persik Kediri, Persebaya U-20, Serpong City, and Deltras. He also served as an assistant coach for the Persebaya team. His son, Rachmat Irianto, currently plays for Persib Bandung, inheriting his father’s passion and talent for the game.

The news of Bejo’s demise has sent shockwaves through the Indonesian football community, with tributes pouring in from fellow players, coaches, and fans alike. Many have remembered Bejo for his technical skills, leadership on the pitch, and the positive influence he had on fellow players and coaches in Indonesia.
This moment of national mourning however brings in one question. How should athletes be honored in death when they do so much for society and culture yet are poor? Should sports organizations fundraise for the families of the deceased athletes and honor them accordingly? Improving social welfare for athletes and their families should be a priority for sports organizations, especially those that receive significant revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and broadcasting rights. By establishing bereavement programs and providing ongoing support for the families of athletes, sports organizations can ensure that the legacies of these individuals are preserved and honored long after their deaths.

While many sports organizations put athletes in limelight and exploit the public and fans’ interests and the media, raking in billions of dollars from endorsements, broadcasting rights, license opportunities, and other avenues, and yet do not take any steps for their athletes’ future, the fans, like in the case of Bejo never know the struggle that the athletes and their families go through, contribute in running sports and are always put in limelight. Hence the question arises about why athletes’ organizations become rich in their lifetime but not their children do themselves after they die. Unlike his greater American counterpart athletes, most of the world Iternational athletes do not have Champions league money to help their starving children so that companies, betting syndicates and emails the competition regulators, fund investments in their children.

In addition the management of one of the teams he coached is holding a ceremony in his honor and providing scholarships and support to his children to ensure they do not struggle as he did when he was younger, particularly excelling in what their father excelled in on the field — sports—or other valued fields. This current team claiming to have learned about the incident of footballers living in poverty over their achievements, champions the rights of the footballers and acknowledges the importance of their contribution to the game and to society and has announced that they will push the local government to start a solid financial aid program for athletes’ children.

The football players’ inadequacies and aftermath impact not just football but are coercing many other social problems too. So much so that Fahmi Shafeea, associate lecturer at University Texas, suggests urgent measures to be taken to improve the health and well-being of athletes, especially in low-income countries where economic issues pose dire threats to their lives.

In other news, Galaxy soccer club is seeking to raise awareness & funds where possible for Footballers and other sports personalities as well. It is not just a moral stand but also counterbalancing against the National health policies and Economic growth statistics will hit the government hard as will all international sports associations such as FIFA, OCSA and UNESCO acknowledge. Obviously other sports garments and other brand clothing accessories markets in other Countries are going to be adversely affected also.

In football-rich countries such as Nigeria, Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, or Spain—where sports gambling outbursts only bring their countries stubborn economic reserves – this is a potential fear of the international sporting community.