Sammy Monsels

Samuel "Sammy" Monsels (born 2 August 1953) is a Surinamese former sprinter and current athletics trainer. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics. He is the brother of sprinter Eddy Monsels.^[1]

Sammy Monsels

Sammy Monsels in 1972
Personal information
Birth name	Samuel Monsels
Nationality	Surinamese
Born	(1953-08-02) 2 August 1953 (age 72) Paramaribo, Surinam
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
Sport	Sprinting
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Club	Gazelle Paramaribo Amsterdamsche Atletiek Club

Athletics

Monsels grew up in Suriname and attended Mulo there. He came to the Netherlands in 1971 to compete in the Kingdom Games, and remained in the Netherlands to undergo training as a technical specialist.^[2] In Paramaribo, Monsels was a member of the 'Gazelle' athletics association.^[2]

In 1971 Monsels was Surinamese champion in the 100 metres and 200 metres at both the senior level (11.0 seconds and 22.3 seconds) and the junior level (11.0 and 22.5).^[2]

Monsels (far right) at the Netherlands-Ireland meet in Drachten in 1972.

Between 1971 and 1983 Monsels won seven Dutch sprint championships in the 60 metres (indoor) and the 100 and 200 metres (outdoor). Representing the Netherlands, Monsels reached the final of the 60 metres at the 1973 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Rotterdam, finishing fifth. In 1972 and 1976 he competed in the Olympic Games, representing Suriname, reaching the second round of the 100 metres and 200 metres on both occasions. In the late 1970s Monsels quit competitive athletics for a while, but returned in the early 1980s.^[1] In 1982 he represented Suriname at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana.^[3]

Monsels in 1975 after winning the Dutch 200 metres title in Papendal.

As late as 1990, Monsels competed in the Netherlands national indoor athletics championships in The Hague, finishing third in the 60 metres with a time of 6.89 seconds, behind Emiel Mellaard and Frank Perri.^[4]

Military

In 1974 Monsels was a tank driver in the Royal Netherlands Army. In 1975 he returned to Suriname from the Netherlands as the country became independent. He became a sports instructor in the Suriname National Army. After the 1980 coup, he received a promotion and became sports chief in the Surinamese army. In 1983, he acted as an intermediary between strongman Dési Bouterse and the exiled former President Henk Chin A Sen. In 1987 he left the Surinamese army and moved to the Netherlands.^{[citation needed]}

Singer

In 1988, Monsels released a reggae-pop single called "No Bombs, No Guns, All We Need Is Peace And Harmony".^[5]

Trainer

In 1992, Monsels founded Atletiek Vereniging Bijlmer, an athletics club in Bijlmermeer and was trainer and president of the association until 1997. Then in 1999 he founded Continental Sport, another athletics club in the area. He again was trainer and president.

December murders

In 2002, after questioning by Surinamese judge Albert Ramnewash, Monsels said he was in Fort Zeelandia on 8 December 1982 but was not involved in the killings.^[6]

Netherlands championships

Outdoor

Distance	Year
100 m	1975, 1983
200 m	1972, 1975

Indoor

Distance	Year
60 m	1971, 1972, 1973

Personal records

Distance	Time	Date	Place
100 m	10.49 s	19 July 1981	Nijmegen
200 m	21.03 s	26 August 1981	Koblenz