Wensley Bundel

Wensley Bundel
Personal information
Full name Wensley Rinaldo Bundel
Date of birth (1948-06-26)26 June 1948[1]
Place of birth Paramaribo, Surinam
Date of death 2 June 2024(2024-06-02) (aged 75)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1982 Transvaal
International career
1970–1978 Suriname 6 (0)
Managerial career
20??–2003 House Of Billiards
2005 Suriname
2007–2008 Suriname U19
2008–2010 Suriname
2010–2014 Transvaal
Medal record
Men's association football
Representing  Suriname
CFU Championship
Gold medal – first place 1978 Trinidad and Tobago Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wensley Rinaldo Bundel (26 June 1948 – 2 June 2024) was a Surinamese football manager and player.[2]

As a player, he played in the Hoofdklasse for Transvaal, and for the Suriname national team, helping Transvaal to five national titles, and two CONCACAF Champions Cups, during one of the club's most successful periods. He also managed House Of Billiards, Transvaal and the Suriname national team during the span of his career.

He is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the history of the sport in Suriname, having also helped Suriname to win the CFU Championship in 1978.[3]

Club career

Bundel began his football career in Paramaribo, playing with Transvaal in the SVB Hoofdklasse, the top flight of football in Suriname.[4] He played in the midfield with Roy Vanenburg and Pauli Corte in the sixties.[5] He was best friends with Roy George, of arch rivals S.V. Robinhood except for on the pitch, where competition was fierce.[6] In 1973, Transvaal went undefeated, winning the league title, as well as the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the first for a Surinamese club.[7] They defeated CRKSV Jong Colombia from the Netherlands Antilles 4–2 on aggregate score in the final.[8] In 1974, Transvaal won the league title again, and in 1975 they finished as runners-up in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, losing to Atlético Español from Mexico 5–1 on aggregate score in the final. He also helped Transvaal to the 1981 CONCACAF Champions' Cup finals once more, winning the title 2–1 on aggregate score against Atlético Marte from El Salvador.[9] On 10 January 1982, he played in a friendly match between Transvaal and Ajax, which ended in a 3–0 loss at the National Stadion.[10]

International career

Bundel played for the Suriname national team. He made his debut on 4 October 1970 in a 3–2 win against Trinidad and Tobago, in a friendly match hosted at the National Stadion. He played an important role in the country's 1970 and 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns, also helping his team to win the 1978 CFU Championship.[11]

Managerial career

After his playing career, Bundel started in coaching.[12] He was the manager for House Of Billiards, competing in the Hoofdklasse in 2003.[13] In 2005, Bundel coached the Suriname national team at the annual Suriprofs Tournament in Amsterdam, finishing in second place.[14]

In 2007, he coached the Suriname national under-19 team to a first place finish at the Inter-Guyana Games.[15] In 2008, he became the manager of the Suriname national team, ahead of the nations' 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He also managed the team for the 2008 and 2010 Caribbean Cup qualifiers, and the 2010 Parbo Bier Cup.[16]

In 2010, he became the manager of his former club Transvaal.[17] After four turbulent seasons, and with the club at one point nearly facing relegation, Bundel resigned in 2014.[18][19][20] He was succeeded by former Transvaal player Jimmy Letnom.[21][22]

Personal life and death

Bundel was the father of former Surinamese International Rosano Bundel who also played for Transvaal. On 24 March 2012, his son was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of George Tabetando in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, in what was known as the Cumberland Mall shootings of 2011.[23] He was 28.[24]

Wensley Bundel died on 2 June 2024, at the age of 75.[25]

Honours

Player

Transvaal[26]

Suriname

Coach

Suriname U19[15]

  • Inter-Guyana Games: 2007

References

  1. ^ "Wensley Runaldo Bundel Ooit geducht bij Transvaal en in de nationale selektie, nu succesvol trainercoach, Onze sporthelden. Deel 3, Guno Hoen". DBNL (in Dutch).
  2. ^ "Wensley Bundel profile". Soccer-db.info. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Oud-internationals richten 'Vriendenclub Transvaal' op". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Roy George wil Surinaams voetbal ondersteunen". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Suriname is verliefd op de bal". AD.nl. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  6. ^ "WK voetbal blijft een droom voor Suriname". Natio Suriname. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Wensley Bundel profile". Soccerstats.us. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  8. ^ "Central American Club Competitions 1973". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Central American Club Competitions 1981". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Ajax in Suriname en op de Antillen". Sportgeschiedenisnl. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Rinaldo Bundel profile". Soccer-db.info. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Surinaamse oud-internationals terug op Hollands gras". Radio Nederland Wereldomroep Suriname. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Wensley en Jennifer Bundel". Ajax.netwerk.to. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Op de foto in plaats van warmlopen voor duel". NRC.nl. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  15. ^ a b "2007 Inter-Guyana Games". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Zwamborn volgt Bundel op als bondscoach van Suriname". Voetbalzone.nl. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Surinaamse trainers verwachten taaie CL finale". NoSpang. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Transvaal pakt eerste drie competitiepunten". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  19. ^ "Drama binnen Transvaal, trainer en voorzitter stappen op". Suriname Nieuws. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Wensley Bundel bedankt Transvaal". QN Sports. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Coach Letnom bedankt bij Transvaal". Dagblad De West. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Oud-voetballers zien elkaar weer in reünie". Dagblad De West. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  23. ^ "Levenslang voor voormalige Surinaamse voetballer". Waterkant. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  24. ^ "Man gets lifein Cumberland Mall slaying". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  25. ^ Surinaams voetbalicoon Wensley Bundel overleden (in Dutch)
  26. ^ "Wensley Bundel - Career Honours". Soccer-db.info.