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Ronald Wilfried Kolf (born June 5, 1939) is a former Surinamese football manager and player who last served as the technical director of the Suriname national team and a board member of Surinamese football club S.V. Leo Victor.

As a player, he played in the Surinamese Hoofdklasse for S.V. Robinhood and for S.V. Transvaal, having taken a brief player-coaching role at Concordia in Moengo, he would return to Paramaribo to finish his playing career at Transvaal. He is one of the most successful managers in Suriname, having led Transvaal and Robinhood to a total 15 national titles.

Playing career

Early career

Kolf grew up playing for various youth teams on the Mr. Bronsplein such as Rio, De Trappers and Millionaros, before getting picked up by S.V. Robinhood where he progressed through the youth ranks, winning two youth national championships. He was scouted by Andre de Vries. On the Bronsplein is where grew up playing with players such as Wim Petrici, Jan Helstone van Eyck, Charlo Stynberg, and Kenny Headley. He was given his first pair of football boots by Etire Strok, whom he admired, but his greatest idol growing up was Humphrey Mijnals.

SV Robinhood

In 1958, Kolf made his Hoofdklasse debut in the first team of Robinhood. He would play with the team for three seasons winning the national title twice in 1959 and 1961. In 1962 Kolf parted ways with Robinhood over differences with the technical team, and signed with crosstown rivals S.V. Transvaal instead.

SV Transvaal

Kolf joined S.V. Transvaal in 1962 where he played for three seasons winning the national title in 1962 and 1965.

Concordia

In 1965, Kolf relocated to Moengo, taking a teaching position at a school, where he joined local club Concordia, taking his first managerial role while also playing as a player. After two seasons, Kolf returned to Paramaribo joining S.V. Transvaal as a player-youth coach.

Return to Transvaal

Kolf returned to S.V. Transvaal where he was playing for the first team, while coaching the youth teams. After one season which saw Kolf winning the national championship with the first team, and two national championships with the youth teams, Kolf took over as manager of the club the following season, retiring as a player.

Managerial career

Kolf took on his first job as a football manager when he relocated to Moengo for a teaching position at a local school. At the time, Kolf had joined the club Concordia taking on a player-manager function for two seasons before returning to Paramaribo. Upon his return, Kolf took on a coaching position at his former club S.V. Transvaal, coaching the youth teams, while actively playing in the first team. That season he was able to secure two National championships with the youth teams, while winning the National title with the first team. The following season, saw Kolf taking on the manager position of S.V. Transvaal.

As manager of Transvaal, Kolf led the team to consecutive national titles in 1967 and 1968, before taking over the manager position of S.V. Robinhood. Kolf successfully led the club to 13 national titles, making it to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup on five occasions, namely in 1972, 1976, 1977, 1982 and 1983.

In 1976, Kolf was the assistant to Walther Braithwaite for Suriname's 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. In 2000 Kolf took over as the manager of the national team after 31 years at the helm of Robinhood, for the country's 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign where they were eliminated by Cuba. He also helped Suriname the final stages of the 2001 Caribbean Cup.

In 2003, Kolf took over as manager of S.V. Leo Victor, winning the Surinamese Cup and the Suriname President's Cup in his first year with the club. In 2008, he became the technical director for the club. In 2013 Kolf was made the technical director of the Suriname national football team.

Career statistics

Manager

As of 20 December 2015

Suriname matches

  Win   Draw   Loss

Honours

Player

Robinhood

• Hoofdklasse: 1959, 1961

Transvaal

• Hoofdklasse: 1962, 1965

Manager

Transvaal

• Hoofdklasse: 1967, 1968

Robinhood

• Hoofdklasse (13): 1971, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup runner-up: 1972, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983

Leo Victor

• Beker van Suriname: 2003
• Suriname President's Cup: 2003

Individual

• Suriprofs oeuvreprijs: 2013

References

1. "SVB stelt Kolf aan als technisch directeur". Natio Suriname. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. "'Robinhood mi boi!'". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
3. "Kolf, Ronald; Ricky W. Stutgard, De eerste Surinaamse sportencyclopedie (1893–1988). Alberga, Paramaribo, 1990". dbnl.org. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
4. "Voetbal in Suriname (deel 1)". Strafschop.nl. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
5. "Ronald "Ro" Kolf" (PDF). Star Nieuws. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
6. "'Surinaams topvoetbal heeft enorm laag niveau'". Natio Suriname. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
7. "Eerste Suriprofs oevreprijs voor Ronald "Ro" Kolf". Waterkant. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
8. "Ronald Kolf - Career Honours". Soccer-db.info.
9. "Eerste SURIPROFS OEUVREPRIJS voor Ronald (Ro) Kolf". Suriprofs. Retrieved 21 December 2015.

• Living people
• 1939 births
• Sportspeople from Paramaribo
• Surinamese men's footballers
• Men's association football forwards
• SVB Eerste Divisie players
• S.V. Robinhood players
• S.V. Transvaal players
• Surinamese football managers
• SVB Eerste Divisie managers
• S.V. Robinhood managers
• S.V. Leo Victor managers
• Suriname national football team managers
• 20th-century Surinamese businesspeople