MIES (Switzerland) - One of the great names in Asia basketball history, Sony Hendrawan of Indonesia, is being recognized for his magnificent career. The MVP of the 1967 FIBA Asia Cup, Hendrawan is being inducted to the  FIBA Hall of Fame.

A 1.75m (5ft 9in) small forward originally from Semarang in Central Java, Hendrawan stood out on the international stage. It was his performances for Indonesia that endeared him to everyone in the country.

Hendrawan was a scoring machine. At the 1964 Pre-Olympic Basketball Tournament in Yokohama, he led the tournament in scoring at 29.7 points per game. His highest-scoring game in that event was 59 points against Cuba, a game won 99-96 by the team from the Americas. Indonesia's signature win (98-86) came against the Philippines, who had won the FIBA Asia Cup the previous year.

He was also the 1968 Pre-Olympic Tournament's top scorer at 22.4 points per game. In addition to being named MVP of the 1967 FIBA Asia Cup, Hendrawan was a member of the All-Star Five and was the top scorer of the event.

Another of his highlights came at the 1967 FIBA Asia Cup when he poured in 43 points against host Korea.

He was also twice Games of The New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) silver medallist, in 1963 and 1966.

On the club level, Hendrawan suited up for three teams: SAHABAT Semarang, SAHABAT Surabaya, and Waringin Abadi. Among his club achievements was an Indonesian League title (National Sports Week VII gold medal), in 1969, when he played for SAHABAT Surabaya.

Every year, people in his country are reminded of his brilliance with the Indonesian League MVP trophy named in his honor.

He becomes the first Indonesian to enter the FIBA Hall of Fame.

He is being enshrined in the Class of 2023 that includes Penny Taylor (Australia), Yuko Oga (Japan), Katrina McClain (USA), Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), Wlamir Marques (Brazil), Yao Ming (China), Angelo Monteiro dos Santos Victoriano (Angola); with both Carlos Loyzaga (Philippines) and Zurab Sakandelidze (Georgia) being inducted posthumously.  The Class also includes deserved recognition for coaching duo Valerie Garnier (France) and Alessandro Gamba (Italy).

The 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place  after the conclusion of the FIBA Congress on August 23, 2023, in Manila, Philippines, ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

FIBA