Well-known Indonesian soccer fan Ronaldikin, real name Sodikin, passed away at 49 on Tuesday afternoon. He was best known for being the Indonesian doppelganger of legendary Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho.
Ronaldikin, who hailed from the Pamengpeuk Subdistrict of West Java’s capital of Bandung, died after undergoing medical treatment at a hospital for three days. He reportedly died of pneumonia because he wasn’t immediately treated for what appeared to be a mild illness, which resulting in deadly complications, as confirmed by his brother, Husnu Bayanudin.
“He first had sore throat, and then it (the infection) spread to his lungs and stomach,” Husnu said, as quoted by DetikSport.
Ronaldikin found fame in 2004 after he was spotted on camera while watching a match between archrivals Persib Bandung and Persija Jakarta. His uncanny resemblance to Ronaldinho earned him numerous TV appearances, most recently in a commercial for sports channel BeIN Sports with Thai soccer star Charyl Chappuis.
Ronaldikin was also written about by foreign media such as as Mirror and Eurosport, once in regards to the time Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro posted a picture of him on Instagram during his visit to Indonesia in 2014.
Ronaldikin was an avid supporter of Persib Bandung and the Brazilian national team as well as a member of the Indonesian chapter of the AC Milan fan club, Milanisti Indonesia.
Innalillahi wa Innalillahi Rojiun
Telah berpulang ke Rahmatullah, Sodara kita yang bernama Sodikin atau biasa kita kenal dengan Ronaldikin.Almarhum semasa hidupnya sering bergabung dengan banyak kegiatan Milanisti Indonesia. Semoga amal ibadah Almarhum diterima di sisi ALLAH SWT pic.twitter.com/SJuToSp6ru
— Milanisti Indonesia (@MilanistiOrId) January 22, 2019
The soccer world mourns the loss of Ronaldikin. Milanisti Indonesia posted a tribute to Ronaldikin, writing that he was an active member of the club. Charyl Chappuis also posted an Instagram story with a picture of him and Ronaldikin, saying that he “made everyone in the room happy”. Fellow famous Indonesian Milanisti, actor Gading Marten, also posted a tribute to Ronaldikin on his Instagram.
Rest in peace, Ronaldikin. Joga Bonito.
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