Famous people from Suriname
Here is a list of famous people from Suriname. Curious if anybody from Suriname made it our most famous people in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
Edgar Davids
Soccer
Edgar Steven Davids is a Surinamese-born Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Barnet where he is also head coach. After beginning his career with Ajax, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Ajax. Having struggled with injuries for two years, Davids returned to competitive football during a brief spell with Crystal Palace before retiring at the age of 37. In 2012, he was appointed player-coach at English League Two club Barnet. He was capped 74 times by the Netherlands at international level, scoring six goals, and represented his country at the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championship. His dreadlocked hair and protective goggles—which he wore due to glaucoma—made Davids one of the most recognisable players of his generation. A combative and creative midfielder, Davids was nicknamed "the Pitbull" by Louis van Gaal because of his marking ability. He was one of the players chosen by Pelé to feature in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living footballers. His cousin Lorenzo is also a footballer.
Clarence Seedorf
Soccer
Clarence Clyde Seedorf is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Botafogo in the Brasileirão Serie A. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League four times and with three different clubs – Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007. Seedorf is known to be "Supremely fit and superb with the ball at his feet. His ability to hold the ball under pressure and then time a pass to a runner off him makes him dangerous."
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Soccer
Jerrel Hasselbaink, usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain. He also played 23 matches for the Dutch national team, including at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He scored more than 250 career goals. He was the first team coach at English Championship side Nottingham Forest, until January 2013 when he left the club after terminating his contract by mutual consent. On 29 May that year, he was appointed manager of Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Second Division. His nephew Nigel Hasselbaink plays professionally for St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.
Chuckie
Electro house Artist
Chuckie, born Clyde Sergio Narain is a Dutch DJ and producer of Surinamese descent. Chuckie travels all over the world, but lives in Aruba with his wife and son. Chuckie is a producer of what has been called the "dirty house" scene, a cultural movement centered on lively urban club events featuring dancing, bright lights and interactive stage elements. He has also helped develop a style of music known as "Dirty Dutch", a genre characterized by high pitched lead synths over Latin-inspired rhythms and samples. Hits including “Let the Bass Kick,” “Aftershock,” and “Make Some Noise” have contributed to his success. Chuckie has also remixed songs for megastars Michael Jackson and David Guetta, and has produced for 50 Cent, Kesha and Akon. Further, his work has been showcased on the popular EDM focused show "What's Hot in EDM?" on BBC Radio 1.
Melvin Manhoef
Man
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. In kickboxing, he is the former It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion. He has also competed for Strikeforce, DREAM, RINGS, It's Showtime, K-1, ONE FC, and KSW.
Tyrone Spong
Man
Tyrone Clinton Spong is a Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He is the reigning WFCA Cruiserweight Muay Thai champion, current Glory 95kg Slam Champion and former It's Showtime 95MAX World champion, fighting out of Fighting Factory Carbin in Amsterdam, Netherlands. As of January 2013, Spong is ranked the #6 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com.
Remy Bonjasky
Athlete
Remy Kenneth Bonjasky is a Dutch-Surinamese super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008. He has been known for his flying kicks and knee attacks, hence the nickname of "The Flying Gentleman".
Dési Bouterse
Politician
Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is the ninth President of Suriname. From 1980 to 1987 he was in charge of Suriname when the country was under military rule. Bouterse is the chairman of the Surinamese political combination Megacombinatie and the leader of the National Democratic Party, which is part of the Megacombination. On 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes and on 12 August 2010 he was inaugurated. Bouterse is probably Suriname's most controversial figure. He is held responsible for the numerous human rights violations committed under his dictatorship, such as the December murders and the Moiwana massacre. In 2000, he was sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years imprisonment because he was found guilty of trafficking 474 kilos of cocaine. Bouterse always denied being guilty and said he was convicted because the star witness in the case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government. According to Wikileaks cables released in 2011, Bouterse was active in the drug trade until 2006. Europol has issued an arrest warrant for him, but as the Surinam president, he enjoys immunity.
Aron Winter
Soccer Midfielder
Aron Mohamed Winter is a retired Dutch football midfielder and former head coach of Toronto FC. He has played for Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands, for Italian sides Lazio and Internazionale, and for the Dutch national team.
Errol Zimmerman
Man
Errol Zimmerman is a Curaçaoan kickboxer, fighting out of Golden Glory Gym in Breda, Netherlands. He is three time Dutch Muay Thai champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Amsterdam tournament champion. As of April 2013, Zimmerman is ranked the #8 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com. He has competed in the It's Showtime, K-1 and SuperKombat promotions. Zimmerman has also competed in one Openweight mixed martial arts fight at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008 against Japanese MMA icon Ikuhisa Minowa. Zimmerman lost the fight by a toe hold, a move that is rarely seen in MMA, to the submission specialist.
Romeo Castelen
Soccer Midfielder
Romeo Castelen is a Dutch footballer who plays for RKC Waalwijk as a right winger. After competing in his country with Den Haag and Feyenoord, he joined Hamburg in Germany, where he all but failed to appear over the course of five years due to several injuries.
Edson Braafheid
Soccer
Edson René Braafheid is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a left back for 1899 Hoffenheim. Braafheid started his career with Eredivisie side Utrecht in 2003, before moving on to FC Twente in 2007 on a free transfer. He was signed by German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in 2009 for €2 million. After failing to break into the team during the first half of the season Braafheid moved on loan to Scottish Premier League club Celtic, in order to increase his chances of playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Holland. After a few appearances at the start of the 2011–12 season for Bayern, Braafheid moved to fellow Bundesliga club Hoffenheim Braafheid has played for the U-21 and full Netherlands team. Braafheid was called up to the Netherlands squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics, however, due to Twente's European matches early in the season he couldn't go. He was also called up to the squad for the 2010 World Cup and made a substitute appearance in the final.
Ruth Jacott
Singer
Ruth Jacott is a Dutch singer, originally from Suriname. Jacott transitioned from musical theatre to popular music in 1993, when she represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 1993. Her song, "Vrede", was one of the favorites to win, and ended up ranking sixth out of 25 at Millstreet. She has since released nine Dutch-language albums, four of which made the Top Ten on the Dutch music charts.
Dwight Tiendalli
Soccer Midfielder
Dwight Tiendalli is a Surinamese-born Dutch footballer who plays for Swansea City.
Nelli Cooman
Olympic athlete
Cornelli Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin. She was World Champion twice, six times European Champion and nineteen times national Champion of the Netherlands. Cooman grew up in Suriname in a family together with four sisters and one brother. When she was eight, the family moved to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She started to play soccer and soon got the nickname "Miss Pele". At sixteen, she was discovered to be a very good sprinter during a sporting event at school; thus she began a career in athletics. Three months later, she competed in the European Youth Championships in Utrecht and finished seventh in the 100 m sprint. Shortly after, she set a sprint record in the youth category. At seventeen, she won the silver medal in the National Championships. After graduating secondary school she turned professional with Henk Kraaijenhof as trainer. During her time as a professional athlete from 1984 to 1995 she became World Champion 60 m indoor two times, and European Champion six times. At the European Indoor Championships in Madrid in 1986 she won in a time of 7.00 seconds, a world record at the time. Because of that achievement she was elected Sportvrouw van het jaar. Her world record lasted until February 1992 and her time of 7.00 seconds still stands as national record for 60 m. Nelli Cooman took part twice in the Olympic Games for the Netherlands; during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul in the 4 x 100 m relay and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 100 m sprint.
Stanley Menzo
Soccer
Stanley Purl Menzo is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and a current coach of Lierse in the Belgian Pro League. Most of his professional career was spent at Ajax, appearing in more than 300 official matches with the club and winning nine major titles. Menzo represented the Dutch national team in one World Cup and one European Championship.
Regi Blinker
Soccer Midfielder
Reginald "Regi" Waldi Blinker is a retired Dutch footballer of Surinamese extraction who played as a left winger. During his career, he was also known for his dread-locked hairstyle, and played three years in Scotland with Celtic, after notably representing Feyenoord.
Kelvin Leerdam
Soccer Midfielder
Kelvin Leerdam is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a right back or defensive midfielder for Vitesse and the Netherlands U21.
Andwélé Slory
Soccer Midfielder
Andwélé "Andy" Cedric Slory is a retired Dutch footballer. After his professional debut for Stormvogels Telstar at the age of 18, Slory promoted to the Eredivisie with his next club Excelsior. In the Eredivisie, Slory had an impressive season with Excelsior. Slory became the club's top scorer with 12 goals, made his debut in the Netherlands national football team and earned a transfer to Feyenoord. Due to injuries, Slory had a difficult start at Feyenoord, but became a first team regular in the season 2009–10.
Sabrina Starke
Rhythm and blues Artist
Sabrina Starke is a Surinam-Dutch singer/songwriter from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her style is a mix of soul, folk, rhythm & blues and jazz.
Mark de Vries
Soccer
Mark Lyndon Patrick de Vries is a Dutch footballer currently playing for Dutch Hoofdklasse club ONS Sneek.
Murthel Groenhart
Man
Murthel "The Predator" Groenhart is a Dutch-Surinamese super middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer fighting out of Amsterdam, Netherlands for Mike's Gym, where he is trained by Mike Passenier. He is the 2008 K-1 Italy Oktagan champion and K-1 World MAX 2012 World Championship Tournament Champion currently fighting within the It's Showtime organization. As of December 2012, Groenhart is ranked the #2 middleweight in the world by LiverKick.com.
Ulrich van Gobbel
Soccer
Ulrich van Gobbel is a former Dutch football player who played as a defender for Feyenoord Rotterdam, Galatasaray and Southampton.
Marco Piqué
Man
Marco "The Sniper" Piqué is a Dutch-Surinamese welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Profighters Gym in Almere, Netherlands. He is the current World Full Contact Association Muay Thai middleweight world champion, WMC intercontinental champion, and a two-time K-1 MAX regional tournament finalist.
Dean Gorré
Soccer Midfielder
Dean Gorré is a Surinamese football coach and former player.
Def Rhymz
Musical Artist
Def Rhymz Drizzy is a Dutch rapper. He is known for his sexist, humoristic raps. He was the first Dutch rapper ever to hit the number 1 spot on the Dutch charts, with two songs: Doekoe in 1999 and Schudden in 2001.
Nordin Wooter
Soccer Midfielder
Nordin Wooter is a Dutch former footballer of Surinamese origin. During his career he played in the Dutch Eredivisie for Ajax, Spain's La Liga for Real Zaragoza, and in 1999 he joined English Premier League club Watford for £950,000, which at the time was the highest transfer fee Watford had ever paid. He made his debut for Watford in a memorable 1-0 win over Chelsea. He went on to score 3 goals for Watford in games against Leicester City, Norwich City and Wimbledon. He also played for the Netherlands under-18 and under-21 teams.
Cynthia Mc Leod
Novelist
Cynthia Henri McLeod is a Surinamese novelist.
Johan Ferrier
Politician
Johan Henri Eliza Ferrier was a Surinamese politician who served as the 1st President of Suriname from November 25, 1975, until August 13, 1980. He was that country's last governor before independence, from 1968 to 1975, and first president after it gained independence from the Netherlands. He was deposed in a military coup on 13 August 1980. He was named the twentieth century's most important politician in Suriname in 1999.
Lorenzo Davids
Soccer Midfielder
Lorenzo Davids is a Dutch footballer of Surinamese descent, who is a midfielder for Randers FC.
Leroy George
Soccer
Leroy Martin Giovanni George is a Dutch footballer of Surinamese descent, who plays as a winger for Azerbaijan Premier League side Qarabağ. His natural position is as a right forward or right winger, but he has also proven to be useful on the left wing and as a striker while at FC Utrecht and NEC.
Ken Monkou
Soccer
Kenneth John "Ken" Monkou is a retired Dutch footballer who played in a defensive role. Born in Suriname but raised in the Netherlands, Monkou's first major side was Feyenoord Rotterdam. He moved to England in May 1989 to sign for newly promoted to the First Division Chelsea for £100,000. He was their first player from outside the Commonwealth of Nations since Petar Borota in 1982. He made an impressive start for his new side, being voted club player of the year in his first season – the first black player to do so for Chelsea – as the team finished 5th in the First Division and won the Full Members Cup. He remained with Chelsea until 1992, when he was sold to Southampton for £750,000 just 3 months after signing a new 5-year contract with Chelsea. Monkou's time with Southampton saw regular battles for Premier League survival, though the club were never actually relegated. In the 1993–94 season he scored a last minute winner in a 5–4 defeat of Norwich City from a Matt Le Tissier corner which helped the club to stay in the Premier League. He stayed on the South Coast until 1999, when he joined Huddersfield Town on a free transfer, scoring once against Yorkshire rivals Barnsley. However, disagreements with Huddersfield manager Steve Bruce ensured his time with the club was short-lived. Monkou made a return to Chelsea during the 2002–2003 season, before finally retiring from the game
Regilio Tuur
Professional Boxer
Regilio Benito Tuur is a former boxer from The Netherlands, who made his fame by knocking out reigning world champion Kelcie Banks in the first round at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Lloyd van Dams
Man
Lloyd "The Tornado" van Dams is a Dutch–Surinamese super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a former Dutch, European and World Muay Thai champion. In 2006 Lloyd opened his own gym, Fight Club Van Dams in Utrecht, Netherlands. He still continues to fight professionally but spends most of his time training young fighters at his gym.
Denise Jannah
Singer
Denise Jannah, real name: Denise Johanna Zeefuik is a Dutch jazz vocalist. She was born in Paramaribo, and currently lives and records in the Netherlands. She is the first Dutch jazz soloist to be signed by the Blue Note recording label. She received the award Bratislav Bata Anastasijevic,
Ronald Venetiaan
Politician
Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan served as the 6th and 8th President of Suriname. His first term as president ran from 1991 to 1996 after which he lost in the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch. In 2000 however, he regained his former position on the New Front banner, receiving an absolute majority of 37 from 51 votes in the Parliament. In 2005 he was re-elected to serve a third term as president and sworn in on August 12, 2005.
Henk Fräser
Soccer Defender
Hendrikus "Henk" Fräser is a former football defender from The Netherlands, who earned seven caps for the Netherlands national football team, in which he scored one goal. He was a member of the Dutch team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy under manager Leo Beenhakker. He made his debut for Holland on 6 September 1989, in a friendly against Denmark. Fräser played for Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, Roda JC, and Feyenoord Rotterdam, with whom he won the Dutch title twice. After his professional career he became a youth coach at Feyenoord.
Ashwin Balrak
Lawyer
Ashwin Balrak is a Dutch–Surinamese professional kickboxer and lawyer.
Letitia Vriesde
Olympic athlete
Letitia Alma Vriesde is a track and field athlete from Suriname. Her main event is the 800 m. She is the first sportsperson from Surinam to compete at five Olympic Games. Vriesde holds the South American records for 800 m, 1000 m and 1500 m and also for 3000 m.
Damaru
Hip hop Artist
Dino Orpheo Canterburg, better known by his stage name Damaru, is a Surinam singer and rapper. He is best known for his song "Mi Rowsu" with Dutch singer Jan Smit.
Jerry de Jong
Soccer Midfielder
Jerry Murrien de Jong is a Dutch retired footballer who played as a defender or defensive midfielder. He played for seven different clubs during a seventeen-year professional career, including PSV Eindhoven.
Anton de Kom
Man
Cornelis Gerard Anton de Kom was a Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonialist author.
Ronnie Brunswijk
Politician
Ronnie Brunswijk is a Surinamese ex-rebel leader, politician, business man, football player and convict. After having been the personal body guard of Desi Bouterse in the early 1980s, he turned against him by forming the Surinamese Liberation Army, better known as the Jungle Commando, which fought against soldiers of Bouterse in the Suriname Guerrilla War "to free Suriname from the military dictatorship". On 29 November 1986 the Surinamese army went to the village of Brunswijk and killed at least 39 villagers, mostly women and children. They could not find Brunswijk, but they did burn down his house. Brunswijk was convicted in absentia in the Netherlands to six years imprisonment for cocaine smuggling by a Dutch court in Haarlem. He has an international arrest warrant issued against him. Brunswijk is also chairman of the Surinamese political party ABOP, which currently has three seats in the parliament. Brunswijk occupies one of them. Brunswijk is also player and owner of Marowijne football club Inter Moengotapoe. The disciplinary committee of the Surinamese Football Association suspended him for five years because he threatened some players with a handgun during a match in 2005. Later on the suspension was retracted due to lack of evidence. In June 2012, he was suspended for 1 year because he behaved violently towards the referee and a player in football match.
Marciano Vink
Soccer Midfielder
Marciano Carlos Alberto Vink is a former Dutch football player. Throughout his career he played primarily as a right defensive midfielder and as a right central defender. He most notably played for Ajax and PSV in the Eredivisie and Genoa in the Serie A. Injury prone since the very beginning of his career, he was forced to quit prematurely at the age of 28.
Conchita Leeflang
Actor
Conchita Leeflang is an actress, model and singer.
Jan Ernst Matzeliger
Inventor
Jan Ernst Matzeliger was an African-American inventor in the shoe industry. Matzeliger was born in Paramaribo. His father was a Dutch engineer. He was very wealthy and very well educated. His mother was a black Surinamese slave. He had some interest in mechanics in his native country, but his efforts at inventing a shoe-lasting machine began in the United States after a life of working in a machinery shop. He settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 19 after working as a sailor. By 1877, he spoke adequate English and had moved to Massachusetts. In the early days of shoe making, shoes were made mainly by hand. For proper fit, the customer's feet had to be duplicated in size and form by creating a stone or wooden mold called a "last" from which the shoes were sized and shaped. Since the greatest difficulty in shoe making was the actual assembly of the soles to the upper shoe, it required great skill to tack and sew the two components together. It was thought that such intricate work could only be done by skilled human hands. As a result, shoe lasters held great power over the shoe industry. They would hold work stoppages without regard for their fellow workers' desires, resulting in long periods of unemployment for them.
Rayen Simson
Man
Rayen "Red Bean" Simson is a Surinamese-Dutch former super middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer. Despite not being as well recognised as fellow Dutch Muay Thai fighters Ramon Dekkers and Rob Kaman, he is still one of the best kickboxers ever; claiming 7 world titles in 3 different organizations and was ranked number 2 at the Lumpinee Stadium - a notoriously difficult achievement for a farang fighter. He has also won a European title, 2 Dutch titles and has won tournaments in Shoot Boxing and K-1 MAX. During his career he has amassed over 100 wins and he holds notable victories over fighters such as Ramon Dekkers, Ashwin Balrak and Faldir Chahbari. He had his last ever fight in 2010.
Pim de la Parra
Film Director
Pim de la Parra is a film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor.
Anil Ramdas
Journalist
Anil Ramdas was a Dutch-Surinamese columnist, correspondent, essayist, journalist, and TV and radio host. In 1997 he was awarded the E. du Perron prize for all of his works.
Hennie Meijer
Soccer Forward
Hennie Meijer is a retired Dutch football player. Meijer was born in Paramaribo, Suriname. He is known for scoring the first ever J. League goal in the 19th minute of a game against Yokohama Marinos on 15 May 1993.
Sigi Lens
Soccer
Sigi Lens is a retired Dutch-Suriname footballer and currently is a sports agent. During his career he served AZ and Fortuna Sittard. He was one of the footballers that survived the Surinam Airways Flight PY764 air crash in Paramaribo on June 7, 1989. His nephew Jeremain Lens is also a professional footballer.
Ernst-Paul Hasselbach
Presenter
Ernst-Paul Hasselbach was a Dutch TV host and producer. He hosted several shows on Dutch and Belgian television. Hasselbach was the son of a Dutch father and a Surinamese mother. His father's work caused him to be raised around the world. Hasselbach lived in the Netherlands, Suriname, Kenya, Indonesia and Canada. After finishing secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia, he returned to the Netherlands to study in Amsterdam. As well as his studies in "Academie voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding", he studied English at Vrije Universiteit. Hasselbach started his television career in 1995. Between 2000 and his death in 2008 he hosted and produced ten editions of Expeditie Robinson; the Dutch-Belgium version of Survivor. In 2004 he hosted the first season of Peking Express. Hasselbach died in an automobile accident in Lom, Norway, while shooting the television show 71° Noord. His brother Harald Hasselbach was a Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998.
Henck Arron
Politician
Henck Alphonsus Eugène Arron was the Prime Minister of Suriname from 24 December 1973 to 25 February 1980, when he was overthrown in a coup d'état by Dési Bouterse. After Johan Adolf Pengel died in 1970, Arron, a banker, became the leader of the NPS, the main Creole party. In 1973, Arron created a coalition, which included the pro-independence PNR party, that won that year's general election. In February 1974, Arron announced that Suriname would be seeking independence before the end of 1975. This came as a surprise because within Arron's own party there was no majority in favour of independence. Suriname was granted independence by the Netherlands on 25 November 1975. However, Surinamese politics soon degenerated into ethnic polarisation and corruption with the NPS using Dutch aid money for partisan purposes. Its leaders were accused of fraud in the 1977 elections, in which Arron won a further term, and the discontent was such that a large chunk of the population fled to the Netherlands, joining an already significant Surinamese community there. In 1980, Arron was accused of corruption and overthrown and jailed by the very military which he had created. He bore the ill-treatment and humiliation with courage; the charges did not stick, he was released in 1981, and, a year later, became managing director of the Surinaamse Volkskredietbank.
Ivan Hippolyte
Man
Ivan "The Hydro" Hippolyte is a Dutch-Surinamese former kickboxer and Muay Thai World champion. He is currently a martial arts coach at the Vos Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the same gym he used to fight out of during his active career. He is a former sparring partner and teammate of four time K-1 World champion Ernesto Hoost as well as veteran mixed martial artist Gilbert Yvel. He has also been a trainer for K-1 World Champion Remy Bonjasky and MMA legend Mirko Crocop.
Johan Adolf Pengel
Politician
Johan Adolf Pengel was a Surinamese politician, and Prime Minister of Suriname from June 1963 to 5 March 1969 for the NPS. He started as leader of the Suriname trade union workers and then in the National Party of Suriname he became one of the most influential politicians in Suriname at that time He performed a fraternization policy with Lachmon, the president of the VHP, the largest Hindu party, easing to both the groups to understand each other. Under Pengel government the Surinamese infrastructures strongly developed. Roads constructed and existing infrastructure was strongly improved, including two new hospitals..
Purrel Fränkel
Soccer Defender
Purrel Fränkel is a Surinamese former footballer. He played 474 matches in professional football for Telstar, De Graafschap and Vitesse.
John Veldman
Soccer Defender
John Fitzgerald Veldman is a former Dutch football player in the defender role. He started his professional career for PSV Eindhoven, and then moved on to Willem II, Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax, Vitesse and RBC Roosendaal. While at Sparta, he started in various defensive positions and helped the club reach the final of the KNVB Cup in 1996. In the Eredivisie Veldman played 297 matches, from 1986 to 2001. He earned a single cap for the Netherlands national football team, which came on 24 April 1996 in a 1-0 loss to Germany, and he was in the squad for Euro 1996.
Clyde Wijnhard
Soccer
Clyde Wijnhard is a former Dutch professional football player. In a career spanning over ten years, Wijnhard played for Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic, RKC Waalwijk, Willem II, S.C. Beira-Mar and Brentford. Wijnhard appeared most recently for Bramham FC of the Harrogate and District Association Football League, who he joined in the summer of 2006. On 6 September 2009, Wijnhard guest-starred for the Aston Villa Old Stars in a charity match against Solihull Consultants & GP's at Solihull Moors' ground. He scored in the 8–1 victory. Clyde now runs his own eco-friendly lighting company and also helps young Dutch footballers gain trials at English clubs.
François Levaillant
Author
François Levaillant was a French author, explorer, naturalist, zoological collector, and noted ornithologist. He described many new species of birds based on collection he made in Africa and several birds are named after him. He was among the first to use colour plates for illustrating birds and opposed the use of binomial nomenclature introduced by Linnaeus, preferring instead to use descriptive French names such as the Bateleur for the distinctive African eagle.
Henri Frans de Ziel
Author
Trefossa, pen name of Henri Frans de Ziel was a neoromantic writer in Dutch and Sranan Tongo from Suriname. He is best known for the Sranan Tongo stanzas of Suriname's National Anthem. He was an educator and lived in the Netherlands from 1953 to 1956. Upon his return to Suriname he was part of the editorial staff of the magazines Tongoni and Soela. He also served briefly as the director-librarian of Suriname's Cultural Centre. He subsequently returned to the Netherlands to work on the publication of Johannes King's memoirs. Trefossa wrote primarily about the beauty of his native country, Suriname, especially as a source of peace to the restless mind. He influenced many writers in Suriname, including Corly Verlooghen, Eugène Rellum, Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout and Michaël Slory, but the depth and subtlety of his verse remain almost unique. On November 21, 2005, a monument was dedicated in his honor on the Sophie Redmondstraat in Paramaribo. His ashes and the ashes of his wife, Hulda Walser, were also placed at the monument.
Jules Wijdenbosch
Politician
Jules Albert Wijdenbosch is a politician in Suriname. He was a member of the National Democratic Party, which held absolute power in Suriname during the 1980s. He was Prime Minister from April 1987 until January 1988, Vice President from January 1991 until September 1991, and President from September 1996 until August 2000. He is now the leader of Democratic National Platform 2000. He left a bridge bearing his name.
Kathleen Ferrier
Politician
Kathleen Gertrud Ferrier is a former Dutch politician of Surinamese descent and development aid worker. As a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal she was an MP from May 23, 2002 to September 19, 2012. She focused on matters of development aid, education, public health, welfare and sports. Ferrier studied Spanish language and Spanish literature, Portuguese language and also development aid at Leiden University. She is a member of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. Kathleen Ferrier is a daughter of the first President of Suriname Johan Ferrier and a half sister of Surinamese novelist Cynthia McLeod.
Kelvin Maynard
Soccer Defender
Kelvin Maynard is a Dutch-Surinamese footballer who plays as a right defender, who currently plays for R. Antwerp F.C. in Belgiums Second League.
Fabian Wilnis
Soccer Defender
Fabian Wilnis is a Dutch-Surinamese former footballer who played as a defender. He played for NAC Breda, De Graafschap, Ipswich Town and Grays Athletic.
Darl Douglas
Soccer Midfielder
Darl Douglas is a Suriname footballer who holds also Dutch passport. Douglas currently plays for Eredivisie team Heracles Almelo. As Douglas won't play for the Netherlands in the future, it seems to be probable that he could feature for Suriname national football team.
Lou Lichtveld
Author
Lodewijk 'Lou' Lichtveld was a Surinamese politician, playwright, and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Albert Helman" in the Netherlands. He gained notability in 1923 when he published the poetry collection De glorende dag, a milestone in immigrant literature in the Netherlands. He followed it three years later with Zuid-Zuid-West. In 1931 he published a play based on the third voyage of Willem Barentsz.
Humphrey Campbell
Pop Artist
Humphrey Campbell is a Dutch singer and record producer of Surinamese descent, known for his participation in the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest.
Jurgen Themen
Olympic Track and field Athlete
Jurgen Themen is a Surinamese sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres.
Romeo Zondervan
Soccer Midfielder
Romeo Zondervan is a former professional Dutch footballer. He was born in Paramaribo in Suriname, and played his early football with Den Haag and Twente Enschede before joining West Bromwich Albion, for whom he made 84 appearances. He signed for Ipswich Town in 1984 for £70,000 and went on to make 274 appearances for the club before moving to Dutch club NAC Breda in 1992.
Winnie Haatrecht
Soccer Defender
Winston Haatrecht is a retired Dutch-Suriname footballer and currently a player's agent. During his playing career he served AFC Ajax, Willem II Tilburg, AZ, SC Heerenveen, FC La Chaux-de-Fonds, Cambuur Leeuwarden and TOP Oss. He is the brother of former professional footballer Jerry Haatrecht. Both Jerry and Winnie Haatrecht were known as talented youth players and were always playing at the Balboa Square in Amsterdam with their buddies Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. All four they joined the youth squads of AFC Ajax and became part of a high quality group of players, where also players like Wim Kieft, Marco van Basten, Gerald Vanenburg, Sonny Silooy and John Bosman were their team mates. Jerry and Winnie were not able to get a professional contract at Ajax and both left the club for a club in other regions of the Netherlands. Winnie signed for Willem II Tilburg, while Jerry moved to Cambuur Leeuwarden. Where Jerry's adventure was no success, as his mentality and his discipline were not strong enough to eventually break through in professional football, Winnie made his professional debut at Willem II, but in his second match he injured his meniscus, which took him nine weeks to at least be able to walk again. After he recovered he would no longer be the highly talented player he was, but became a decent professional player instead. Willem II played a great first half of the season in which they won almost all matches. However in the second half things went worse and their coach asked his players what was going on. When Haatrecht was one of the few to actually answer the question he was not supported by his team mates nor the coach and he did no longer feel happy at Willem II. He had a few friends playing at AZ and asked if it was possible to join that club to play alongside his buddy Sigi Lens.
Ilonka Elmont
TV Actor
Ilonka "Killer Queen" Elmont is a Dutch-Surinamese former professional Muay Thai kickboxer and seven-time World Champion in the Fly-Weight division. Elmont was born in Paramaribo, Suriname and moved to the Netherlands at a young age. She is a technical all-round and skilled fighter with powerful kicks and knee strikes and clinching. With her unorthodox fighting style she surprised many fighters and had a tendency to go head-to-head with her opponents. Her fighting record has 42 fights, with 38 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw. Her nickname is "The Killer Queen" Her sporting career in thai boxing started, when she first entered the Fighting Factory Carbin gym, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lucien Carbin, former World Champion and currently one of the World's most respected and successful coaches, noticed her talent and challenged it to the max. The blend of passion, talent and ambition he saw and combined with his training program resulted in seven World Titles.
Prem Radhakishun
Actor
Prem Shivram Shaw Radhakishun is a Dutch-Surinamese lawyer, columnist, actor and radio and television producer. Radhakishun presented the NPS television program Premtime, which ran from 2003 to 2008. The program was an informative television program about the multicultural society in which the quality of the Dutch society is tested. In Premtime, Radhakishun paid attention to the multicultural society. This resulted a few times in clashes with Moroccan youth in particular. From April 2009 to September 2010, Radhakishun presented the opinion program PepTalk of BNR. He was also the presenter of the television program De Herkansing, in which the youth who have difficulties at home or at school get a second chance. In 2006 he was suspended for one year as a lawyer for failing to fulfill its administrative and financial obligations.
Fabian de Freitas
Soccer
Fabian de Freitas is a former Surinamese-Dutch footballer who plays as a striker. De Freitas played in England with Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion and in Spain with CA Osasuna. Fabian de Freitas is probably best known for his late goals in the 1995 Division 1 Play-off final between Bolton Wanderers and Reading at Wembley which finished 4-3 to Bolton.Wanderers found themselves 2-0 down with 15 minutes to go before Owen Coyle pulled one back. De Freitas' goal in the 86th minute forced the game into extra-time, before Mixu Paatelainen headed Bolton in the lead. De Freitas then added the winner, firing in from close-range, with a minute to go, promoting Bolton to the Premier League, though Reading responded with a last gasp consolation goal which made the scoreline 4-3. He made his Albion debut on 22 August 1998 in a 3-0 away win at Port Vale; in the 87th minute he replaced Lee Hughes, who had scored a hat-trick in the game. He missed a home match against Crewe Alexandra on 5 April 1999 which West Bromwich Albion lost 5-1 due to a misunderstanding over the fact he thought the game was an evening kick-off.The club got through to him by phone at 2.20 PM and he arrived at The Hawthorns just before the 3.00 PM kick-off and by then the team sheet had already been handed in.
Laetitia Griffith
Politician
Laetitia Juliette Griffith was a Dutch Member of Parliament for the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Born in Paramaribo, Suriname, Griffith moved to the Netherlands in 1987 to study law. She graduated in 1992 from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. In 1993 she started work at the Dutch Ministry of Justice. In 2000 Griffith joined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. After the fall of the First Balkenende cabinet she became a member of the Dutch House of Representatives. On 16 May 2005 she became an alderman in the Amsterdam municipal council. On 19 May 2006 it was announced that Griffith would succeed Ayaan Hirsi Ali as parliamentarian. On 15 March 2010 she announced her retreat from politics.
Kurt Elshot
Soccer Defender
Kurt Elshot is a Dutch footballer who is currently unattached. He normally plays as a defender in a right back position. He has formerly played for FC Groningen and NAC Breda.
Giovanni Drenthe
Soccer
Giovanni Drenthe is a Surinamese footballer who currently plays for SV Excelsior . Drenthe also plays for the youth teams of the Surinamese football and is considered one of the greatest talents in Suriname. The attacker is related to EX Real Madrid C.F player Royston Drenthe.
Ginty Vrede
Man
Ginty Vrede was a Dutch kickboxer and 2008 WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai World champion.
Gus Uhlenbeek
Soccer Defender
Gustav "Gus" Uhlenbeek is a Dutch former footballer. He was born in Paramaribo in the former Dutch colony Suriname, but grew up in Amsterdam. Uhlenbeek spent more than a decade in English football, and was released by Halifax Town at the end of the 2006–07 season.
Fareisa Joemmanbaks
Actor
Fareisa Rouella Joemmanbaks is a Surinamese model and actress. In 2006, she was crowned Miss India Suriname, and the following year in Fords, New Jersey to Miss India Worldwide 2007, for the South Africa Anse Nadia Vorajee and Canadian Sapna Sehravat. Joemmanbaks played in the Dutch-Indian film Saiyaan Chitchor, which they interpreted the role of Amisha. It was her first appearance as an actress. In 2012, she appeared in the Malayalam language Indian film Annum Innum Ennum.
Guillano Grot
Soccer Forward
Guillano Grot is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for De Treffers in the Dutch Topklasse.
Cerezo Fung a Wing
Soccer Defender
Cerezo Fung a Wing is a Dutch defender currently playing for Dutch Eerste Klasse outfit Ajax Zaterdag. His ancestors came from China and moved to Suriname. "Fung A Wing" is his ancestor's full name and in fact, in accordance with the habits of the Chinese people, his real last name is Fung.
Erwin de Vries
Man
Erwin de Vries is a Surinamese painter and sculptor. De Vries was born in Paramaribo, and is the half-brother of Henry Lucien de Vries, who served as governor of Suriname from 1965 until 1967. De Vries studied in the Netherlands with Ossip Zadkine. His work has since been displayed at the Stedelijk Museum and the Nationaal Monument Slavernijverleden in Amsterdam. De Vries has also exhibited a great deal in Jamaica; there he became acquainted with the work of Barrington Watson, whose erotically charged paintings match his own in tone.
Jagernath Lachmon
Politician
Jagernath Lachmon, also Jaggernath Lachmon, was a Surinamese politician of Indian descent. He was one of the founders of the Progressive Reform Party, a Hindustani party founded in 1947 of which he served a long period as President.
Fred Ramdat Misier
Politician
Lachmipersad Frederik "Fred" Ramdat Misier was the 3rd President of Suriname, serving from 1982 to 1988.
Samuel Koejoe
Soccer
Samuel Koejoe is a Dutch former footballer. Koejoe, a pacy striker, played much of his career in Austria and Germany, and played also for Queens Park Rangers.
Marvin Wijks
Soccer
Marvin Wijks is a Dutch footballer who is currently without a club.
Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop
Deceased Person
Felipe Enrique Neri was a Dutch businessman and land owner known for his assistance in Anglo-American settlement of Texas.
Anduele Pryor
Soccer Midfielder
Anduele Pryor is a Dutch footballer who is currently a free agent. Pryor is an attacking midfield player who was born in Amsterdam and made his debut in professional football, being part of the Vitesse squad in the 2006–07 season.
Robert Van Lierop
Film Director
Robert Van Lierop, born in Suriname, is a United States and ni-Vanuatu lawyer, diplomat, political activist, filmmaker, writer and photojournalist. He began his career as a lawyer, and became a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Jennifer Simons
Politician
Jennifer "Jenny" Simons, married Geerlings is a Surinamese politician. On June 30, 2010 she was elected as Chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname with 26 out of 50 votes. Simons is the second female chairman of the Surinamese Parliament. Simons was first elected member of the National assembly in 1996, representing the district of Paramaribo. She served as one of the vice-chairpersons of the National Democratic Party, which was founded by former revolutionist of Suriname Desi Bouterse. She was leader of the parliamentary fraction from 2000 until 2006. In April, 2012, Simons was accused by the opposition in the parliament of dictatorial behaviour because of her decision to forbid members of the parliament to refer to the amnesty law of April 2012 during a debate of the anti-stalking law.
Chinyere Pigot
Swimmer
Chinyere Pigot is a Surinamese swimmer from Miami, Florida who attends the University of Connecticut and participates on a collegiate level. Pigot competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics at age fifteen on Suriname's behalf. She used to attend Doral Academy Charter High School in 2011. She was Suriname's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Giovanni Codrington
Olympic athlete
Giovanni Codrington is a Dutch athlete, who competes in the sprint with a personal best time of 10.38 seconds at the 100 m and 21.02 seconds at the 200 m event. Codrington won the gold medal at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki at the 4 x 100 m relay.
Dion Malone
Soccer Defender
Dion Malone is a Surinamese professional footballer who plays for ADO Den Haag in the Dutch Eredivisie. He formerly played for Almere City. He also holds Dutch citizenship.